Of Sea and Sky
by Amazingly Bad
Summary: From the shadows a man has been trying to make the Psychics rise up and no longer hide in shame. Now Sasha must take on this person to not only keep the peace and secrecy of the Psychic world, but to save the Non-Psychic world. WIP, Chapters reorganized.
1. Access Denied

Disclaimer: Psychonauts and all related items belong to Double Fine.

"Tell me, Agent Nein, do you know what fear is?" The man's voice was soft yet sharp, like a lover who hated you and was only there to make you suffer. "You always seem so above everyone else- in a class of your by your lonesome. While most people are proud to bend a spoon, you want to bend a building. Who deemed it necessary for you of all people- some little guttersnipe of a psychic to come out of nowhere and destroy the proverbial wall that separates the powerful from the weak?"

Sasha Nein, poster boy for the Psychonauts, hero to thousands of children and god knows how many else above the age of 10, didn't respond. He just kept his breath steady, unseeing and honestly unfeeling. He knew whatever he said wouldn't change the outcome of this. Sasha felt the man's breath against his neck.

"Just what are you?"

Silence from both the man and Sasha. The Agent was strapped to a chair as he tried to figure out what led him to this situation and so far he was drawing a blank. It made the pressure on the sides of his head increase more so. He couldn't form a full coherent thought as suddenly the man dropped something; it was a light, scraping sound against the concrete.

"Damn it! Already?" he spat out as Sasha felt a hand on his chin. "Don't worry, we'll get back to our game soon enough."

There was the sound of a pair of heavy doors slamming open and then a gunshot and that alone made Sasha sit up and finally see. The gray morning light came filtering in through the topmost windows forming dusty-colored squares on the floor of his bedroom. The German sat up and placed a hand to his forehead as he tried to figure out what was happening in his dream for a moment before reaching over to his nightstand to put on a pair of glasses and pull out a journal from the drawer. Sasha looked up at the ceiling to recollect his thoughts as he went to writing down the events in his dream in order.

24.09.2005

_Unknown location (concrete or stone floors, double doors), one other participant (Unknown, Early 50s, Male, Hostile) voices only._

_Transcription below:_

Sasha then wrote down what little he could comprehend from the dream, the pen scratching at the paper as he tried to figure out what was going on. He still found it slightly hilarious that the moment you had three dreams come true every dream after must be recorded. Any scientist worth their salt could explain to you the reason why people seemed to have precognitive dreams was simply because their mind was sorting through patterns during the day so of course if someone makes enough shots in the dark they were bound to have something come true. He reached up and popped his back, for a moment feeling painfully captivated with the shadows his hands formed. For a moment curious if everyone in the world at one time or another as a fully grown adult were curious about something they had experienced ever since they had the strength to lift their own hands up into the air.

He spread his fingers before looking down at the clock, blocky red numbers accusing Sasha of wasting his time and the time of everyone around him. It was a simple task to get up in the morning as he waved his hand in a single gesture to get his closet open and his outfit ready as his apartment seemed to move upon itself to help Sasha get ready for the day ahead.

ACCESS DENIED

Another swipe of the keycard, once more a loud beep echoing through the entrance hall of the Psychonauts Headquarters, psychics walked by swiping their own cards with no problem as Sasha looked on the back of his to see if the strip had finally given up the ghost . One would figure that the Psychonauts HQ would be drowning in people interested in paranormal activity, but it just had sign on it that said it was the federal government's personal vending machine fillers. So of course no one wanted to stop by unless they wanted to know what was the most ate snacks at the Whitehouse (it was currently Tennis Bars).

Sasha slid the card once more to be given a lovely 'ACCESS DENIED' script flashing on the screen as Milla came walking by. "Sasha?" she asked, her tone airy and bell-like. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to clock in, Agent Vodello." Sasha stated, sliding the card again as if by magic it would suddenly go 'Alright Agent Nein, please come in and work today.' But Milla just plucked the card from Sasha's hand and frowned.

"Darling, you have today off. And tomorrow. I know it is a bit hard for you to understand, but you don't have work for the next forty eight hours."

"I think I would remember when I had work."

Milla slid the card and once more ACCESS DENIED appeared. "I think your mind has been too much on the Levi case." She put Sasha's card in her Tiffany lamp-equse purse and placed her hands on his shoulders. "So, I want you to go home and put on your jammies and watch some TV."

"Milla, I am not a child."

"Exactly, which is why I want you to be able to go home and act like one for a little bit. How about you just relax for a day? No science or files or anything like that."

"You do understand with you saying that, you have jinxed me where on my way home I will come upon Levi and then spend the next 12 hours in a running battle with him, and then I will need to spend the next 36 hours filling out paperwork and claims correct?"

"Why do you always have to be so negative?"

"Why do we have to have this conversation every time you think I work too much?"

Milla sighed and ran her hand through her hair, deep brown hair falling back into place looking as wonderful as it did before. "Because, you're not a machine, you must have a life outside of work, interior design and science."

"Agent Vodello, I think you summarized me quite well with 'Machine, work, interior design and science' but I think that 'science' and 'machine' would go hand in hand." The look that Milla gave him easily expressed her feelings on the situation. AKA that he was clinically stupid for thinking in such a way and that he needed common sense beaten into him. But she also felt she was the only person in the agency that felt like that; therefore, her opinion was considered nothing more than an over concerned mother hen pecking at a chick. Sasha held a gloved hand, demanding his access card back and instead Milla just turned on a heel and headed to the door to get inside.

"Sorry, you have today off. I want to make sure you can't force yourself to work, much less come in. Alright?"

"Milla, you're impeding progress."

"Only in your mind. We're given days off for a reason. That reason being a well rested Agent is a good agent." She looked over her shoulder, her deep green eyes focusing on his face for a moment. "So please, consider it a job if you have to? It isn't like you're having money taken away for resting some." She then went inside the secured area of the building, leaving one Sasha Nein standing in entrance hall sans way to go any further. He knew she was right, and he hated it. Sasha also knew that if he were to go do one of his research projects or investigate the case anymore she would find out too fast and he would be left with her yelling at him for it. And even though he honestly didn't care if he was scolded for working, he never liked the idea of being scolded by her.

So, with that, Sasha turned and headed out of the building into the gray morning of the city. The scent of fog and smog overwhelmed him at first for a second; the sudden blast from the filtered and refrigerated air inside the building was something much purer than was offered out here. Much like the shadows from this morning, he wondered if he was the only person who preferred the smells of the city in the raw to that of nature or the inside. Or perhaps it was his dream that made him feel like this? So disconnected at the moment and maybe he need a moment to rest and sort himself out. He walked down the cracked sidewalk from the building as he lit a cigarette and headed down the street to the bus stop.

The damp in the air stuck to him, clinging to his skin and clothes as he looked about. It was all different at this time of day, he usually only saw the street heading to work in a rush are heading home in a rush. He never had a chance to move along the street at a leisurely pace of not having rush so he could eat or pack. Pigeons cooed at each other flying off once they decided they had stayed still long enough leaving their feathers behind, instead of the natural beauty, Sasha could only think of the germs the birds were leaving all over the place and why quite honestly he hated the creatures.

"Something interesting, Mr. Nein?"

Sasha was jerked from his train of thought at that comment and turned to see who it was. It was a teenager, someone who should have been in school and not sitting on a bench as if she was waiting for her boyfriend to show up. But she did seem to fit into the atomosphere around them, her face was all angles and her hair was cut short as if trying to soften how she looked.

Sasha went through his mental registry to see where he had seen her before but nothing came up. She smiled as she tucked a chunk of blue-black hair behind her ear. "I'm a big fan."

The agent looked at the young woman, knowing that nine times out of ten whenever someone told him that they were a big fan of his either he would be attacked or one of the Zanottos would end up kidnapped and held for ransom. It was quite an unfortunate thing actually. But she didn't seem to know what he was thinking as she looked up at him, glassy blue eyes meeting his sunglasses, her smile seemed weak and her teeth were an unfortunate shade of off-white as if she drank one too many cans of cola and didn't brush her teeth before rushing out into the damp weather. "A very big fan, I read about you in all the comics you know."

"You do know that I gave them permission to use my face for their comic, so I only have the vaguest of ideas what goes on in those rag magazines. There are no such thing as psychic abilities." It was a lie of course, a comforting lie until people were fully ready and willing to grasp the idea that the only reason the waitress always knows what you want isn't because she memorized your face but instead is reading your mind and that your child could catch the house on fire if they went out of control. True Psychic Tales and Whispering Rock working together helped keep the agency hidden by publizing it to the limit that like Area 51 it was considered fake due to popularity.

But, unlike Area 51, the Psychonauts were real.

Sasha took a drag from his cigarette as the young woman kept on talking, "But I also know they are exaggerated, after all, we don't have the technology for robotic dinosaur-sharks just yet."

"Well, Miss-" Sasha started wanting to correct her about what could be considered a dinosaur and tell her the 'official' statement about the reality of the Psychonauts.

"Luka."

"Miss Luka, sharks are considered prehistoric so they could be considered 'modern dinosaurs' much like alligators and crocodiles. Also, the Psychonauts were something created by the 'Swollen Eye' comic company in an attempt to make a comic that could be real via incorporating real people and events."

Her pale face formed a pout at being shot down so quickly. "Well, humor me." she said after a few moments, "I read all the issues, including the new arc. _Sasha and Milla versus the Dream Eater_. It is a terribly clichéd name if you ask me, but I think this issue might not have one of the best endings. After all, if you reference _True Psychic Tales_ issue 458 where Milla has to face that one demon who posses someone then moves onto another host-"

Sasha pinched the bridge of his nose as the woman rambled about things that were impossible to do. For one, it was impossible to truly have another entity fully take control of your body. But Luka was rambling on as if it were gospel sent down from the heavens. The girl stopped talking for a moment and looked up at him.

"You have the day off." She stated in an airy way. "Why don't we go have coffee?" Sasha was still pinching the bridge of his nose, he had said all of four sentences to her and she was inviting him to coffee. "I could tell you more about my theories." Theories from a comic that exaggerates everything. "You can also pick the place so you know I am not part of a psychic terrorist group that wants to take you, rape you and hold you for ransom. I'll treat."

Sasha pondered this for a moment, because one) when someone said that they were a big fan of his something bad happens (such at a certain summer camp where everyone got their brain stolen within 24 hours of one aquaphobic child sneaking into camp) or two.) he has no idea what they are talking about.  
Now there were also pros to the list of cons he made, for one if he picked the location- he could pick a place he knew Psychonauts frequented often so in case of situation one the agency would be alerted in under 45 seconds and in case of situation two, he would have witnesses to prove to Milla he did something more than sit around his house organizing his files.

But, he could also simply walk away. Now if she was a psychic terrorist, she would be bound to give herself away somehow and thus the pro for situation one would come into effect.

She would be arrested in under 50 seconds and that would be one less person they would have to worry about in the long run and incase of situation two. Well, he could always direct Razputin to her and they could talk about comic books together and see if somehow Raz develops new ideas from her crazed ramblings.

So far, the stats leaned to coffee. Besides, it was cold out and she might follow him home if he refused. Thus in case she was a stalker she could be arrested quicker. "Alright, there is a coffee place near here."  
She kept up her watery smile as she stood up, the cold breeze ruffling her long black and brown scarf.

"Lead the way, sir." She had the kind of voice that Sasha hated, it was something that reminded him of someone holding up the line at a place that served only one thing because they couldn't decide if they wanted a small or a large in the 10 minutes it took them to get to the register. Luka was looking up at the sky, as if enthralled with the shades of gray floating a mile above their heads. The place in question wasn't too far, and it was a safe distance from the HQ. Stepping inside, they were greeted by warmth, something asking you to fall asleep in here. The girl walked to the chalkboard that had the menu for the day scratched onto it.

"Teas have odd names, I'll take the 'Dar-glee-ing'."

"Darjeeling." Sasha corrected as she pulled out her wallet and pulled out a bank card. She was leaving a trail.

"And you?"

"Coffee. Black."

"Sure you don't want Tea. Earl Gray. Hot?"

Sasha just cast Luka a glare for that joke as he told the woman at the counter he wanted just normal black coffee as she went to prepare their drinks, one thing Psychonauts enjoyed about this place was that they could watch their drinks be prepared in front of them to keep anyone from slipping arsenic or some sort of psychic repressive medication into it.

"Now, as I was saying, in issue 476."

"I thought it was 458."

"I was using that one as a bare bones basic reference for the entire theory I have."

Of course, how stupid of him. He should have known one would have to reference comic books for crackpot ideas.

"Well, in issue 476, there was a group of psychics who wanted to take the president's brain, blend it and make it into a fine mixture of 'powerful world leaders' brain soup to create the ultimate leader to create 'world peace' in their eyes."

"Of course." That wasn't anything like how it happened but then again, they were using _comic books_ to prove theories here. The woman at the counter came back with their drinks, Sasha took his before Luka even had a chance to look at it. Luka seemed unoffended as she took her own cup of tea and led the way to a table in-between an old married couple and an Agent and her child having breakfast.

"Well, in that issue, Sir Jonas' brother- remember Sir Jonas was in issue 458- was the leader. Therefore I think that Sir Jonas was actually a body surfer using his brother for his own cause! Because Sir Jonas said that he was the only psychic in his family."

Sasha now had to open his mouth to disprove her theory. "The Jonas brothers were also clinically insane and were raised to hate their own abilities."

"Sir Jonas was!" Luka quipped in. The agent at the other table was just staring at Sasha and Luka for a few moments, most likely pondering what Sasha was doing talking to a fangirl who was flailing about the comic books arguing with Sasha over the case that he worked on himself. "I think that Sir Jonas possessed his brother." she said leaning forward, as if that would make Sasha more receptive to her theory.

"'Body Surfing' as you call is impossible." Sasha took a drink of his coffee; the taste was much less soothing than the young woman agitating. "Sure, there is Astral Projecting where someone could enter someone else's mind and make them do what they want, but in the case and method you described it would have been impossible . Sir Jonas killed himself once he was arrested."

"What is to say he couldn't have stored a back up version of himself in his brother?"

"Because Lord Jonas survived, and most likely had his consciousness picked apart by psychics with sticky fingers."

"For someone who doesn't care about the comics you sure know a lot about them."

"Only the vaguest of ideas, Miss Luka."

The girl finished her tea in a single gulp, taking in a loud, deep breath of air to cool down her throat. "It was good telling you my theories Agent Nein." She said still panting and trying to cool off her throat. The teenager stood up, coat and scarves flapping around her making her look a bit like a child in clothes too big.

"Theory." Sasha corrected once more. Luka gave him a devil-may-care smile as she reached into her overly large purse and pulled out a small stack of _True Psychic Tales_ comics and placed them on the table.

"You should read over these and tell me what you think."

"I don't read comics."

"Ciao!" she said turning around, and headed out the door. Sasha downed his coffee and went after her, he didn't want to be responsible for some random person's comics, but by the time he made it to the door she had vanished, leaving him with a burning throat and comic books. He flipped through the comics real quick to make sure there was nothing he really needed to worry about such as some sort of tracking device and alas all he found was a return address label with a star on it that said:

Luka's!

LukalovesSaga[at]geemail[dot]com

"Damn it." He mumbled to himself putting the comics inside his briefcase, wondering what he got himself into and why would someone write out at on a sticker instead of just drawing the sign, it wasn't as if some bot would send her spam if they found her comic books.

It seemed like he was stuck with these books until he could throw them back at the girl, mostly because it would be in bad taste to throw away someone else's property even if they were just short of thrown at him. And with that, he headed went out once more into the morning fog to the bus stop so he could go home.


	2. A Reoccurring Theme

The thing about Sasha's apartment was that it was in fact quite small. Sasha figured for the rent he paid for his flat here, he could have easily had himself a house somewhere else, not that he was hurting for money. It was just that he could have thought of more effective ways to spread out his income then almost 3000 going to a decent apartment that he didn't have to worry about coming home and finding a body in it and all of his earthly possessions gone.

He tossed the briefcase onto the floor by his dining table as he thought about what to do. A part of him wanted to prove to Milla he was better-rounded than what she had suggested, but then again another part of him wanted to go 'I am free and over 21, I can do whatever I please.' Much like a small child would, but then again, a part of him wanted to please Milla. He wanted to prove to her that he was the best. Perhaps it was the competitive streak he knew and accepted he had.

Sasha mulled over this and wondered if he should nurture the idea of actually looking over the girl's comics and then emailing her about her picking them- or at least him mailing them to her. Perhaps he could see what the intrigue with those yellow-papers was, and why Lili and Razputin seemed to read them whenever they got the chance. Also, it would get them out of his briefcase and not take them to work by accident. He wondered also why that girl would just hand over a stack of comics suddenly for no other reason to 'discuss theories'. It made no sense, it made him curious. He sat down on his couch and stared at the briefcase, pondering what would be the harm.

In the end, curiosity won as he Tk'd the leather pack to him and he pulled out the comics. None of them were in order. They were issues 458, 476, 500 and 502, this only added to his personal theory that Luka was insane. Why would someone just hand over random comics and not entire arcs? Where was her sense of being respectful to the writers? He opened up the first one which had an over done, flat colored drawing of Milla dodging a box of fish being thrown at her. He knew what was going to happen next as he looked more over the artwork than at the words being said. This was obviously the issue where Sir Jonas was arrested before being shot. He skimmed to the end and saw the dramatic image of the man who was given a very pompous name falling onto the pavement after being shot by a cop who thought the man was going to attack them all and brain wash them into being drooling followers of Jonas' group, the 'Veil'.

The German agent hated how the Psychonauts would provide pictures of the scene so the comics could get it just right adding to the idea it was all a set up. Sasha tossed that issue onto the table and picked up the next one, 476- again nothing he didn't know as were the next two issues the girl had lent him. Until suddenly he looked at a panel in one of the pages that had a drawing of a newspaper clipping, that is. Sasha saw that behind Oleander was a man with orange skin and silver-blond hair. He paused for a moment wondering where he had seen that man before.

He looked down at the table, and issue 458 was still laying there on the last page. There. In the background again, the man with orange skin and silver-blond hair, two different artists drew the same background character. He went back to the other two issues and there he was again, in one of the pages that the Psychonauts would have provided photo documentation of. Sasha focused on the face wondering if the man was just an Easter-egg type character, but if he were why have him in only those pages. Why not as a random goon or a cabbage seller? Sasha brought his hand up to his mouth as he mulled over this as he decided to do a test. One that wouldn't require much time at all and sadly would have him needing to contact the odd girl again.

Mostly because he didn't want to sound vain for asking for comics starring _him_in it from Razputin or Lili.  
He would also need to contact Milla just to see if she could send him the pictures that would have been used for the comic images. He got up and headed to his computer, turning it on, now wondering if he could just 'Google' the man and see if anyone else noticed this (or if they were all too busy having lives outside of over-analyzing things like he enjoyed doing.) Sasha opened up his 'civilian' email box, that he often let go neglected due to the fact people seemed to enjoy sending him spam-mail as he composed a letter to Luka.

Subject: Comics

_Miss Luka;_

_Could I borrow a random selection of comics, perhaps three from each 'arc'? Ideally from the beginning, the middle and the last one?_

_Thank you;_

_Sasha_

He sent the e-mail as he dialed up Milla and got her work voicebox.

"Milla, I have a request, could you perhaps send me the photographs we allow _True Psychic Tales_ use?" he paused for a moment wondering if he should explain his actions now or when Milla was bound to go 'Why, Sasha? Do you want to see yourself in your finest moments?' of course it would be teasing but he never had any idea how to respond to such thing.

"I am comparing art styles and honestly, this is cheaper than going out of my way to buy different art books. If possible, please send the pictures by this afternoon." There we go, it had a reason that didn't seem to suspicious and proving that he really did need a hobby instead of a faux one just because he noticed a reoccurring trend in comic books of all things.

Sasha flipped through the comics again to see if the man was wearing the same thing. (Different things, but same jewelry), if he did appear in any other scenes (nope) and when it turned out to make it look like he really was there, Sasha decided he was going insane.

"Thus why I shouldn't listen to Milla." He said as he put the comics into a manila envelope to return to the girl. "I listen to her and I want to investigate something that will make it look like I spend too much time having to solve things. I should just get a Sudoku cube and work on that every day I have off."

He found nothing wrong with talking to himself. He knew other people did it and they were not insane. He saw a response from Luka. And he just stared at it.

"Who actually responds to an email that fast?"

He opened it up and saw the girl was more than willing to surrender a few more books, and the entire email talked about her 'theories' about what was bound to happen next. He was sure a few things she guessed would turn out to be true, only because if someone talks enough they are bound to get something right. She said that she can meet him tomorrow after church and to meet him in front of 'Our Lady of Angels'.

Really? He was supposed to find a teenager after church to get comic books from her, and what should he do in exchange, give her a McBurgerQueen gift card?

He responded back with a new location (the coffee place) and sighed. He really needed better things to do.

He went to his briefcase and pulled out the case file that he was planning on working on today (and now officially confirming Milla's statement about his life). He read over the file once more.

James Levi. Age: 34.

His hobbies include brainwashing people en masse to create the illusion of some sort of traumatic event happening then going in and using that as a way to get people to follow him for his cause, his cause being, from the looks of it, the normal world domination thing.

Besides the large gathering of people he didn't have a trend he followed. Sasha pulled out a map covered in notes about the events, the attendance rate, even what kind of food venues was there and so far it was all random. "He couldn't have simply pulled locations out of a hat." Then at that time, his phone rung.  
Pros about being a psychic was that you were your own caller ID. "Hello Milla."

"Sasha, I got the pictures."

"Can you email them to me?" his life today seemed to be emails and coffee and it wasn't even noon yet. He heard a soft 'tsking' noise.

"Sorry darling, I can't you'll have to come pick them up."

Another bus ride, Sasha wished everything was like the comics for a moment so things could just suddenly appear in his hand when he needed them instead of having to spend more time on the bus than with said files. "We can meet at the sandwich shop and we can have a lunch date."

Sasha heard himself agreeing to it, while reminding himself it was on a merely professional level and nothing more.

"I'll be down there in 30 minutes, darling."

"I'll be there in 25."

"Of course you will." Milla said something about her tone made Sasha shiver just a little. A little sign he would only do in private. Sometimes Sasha wondered if in a past life if Milla was a succubus and it just carried over as he once more grabbed his jacket and headed out.

-

Sasha entered the restaurant and headed back to the spot where he and Milla would normally eat whenever they would work together, which was most of the time, but they were friends and there was no harm in eating a meal with them, correct? Correct. Sasha grabbed one of the menus already resting on the table and started to lazily flip through it. He already knew what he wanted and he knew he was fooling no one with the show of interest.

He would take a salad, mostly because the less number of steps a meal had there was less chances of the person making it messing up or someone else coming in and messing it up to help. It also took a lot of effort to add something to it which could possibly kill him. Being an International Super Agent did have a few of its downfalls, such as those leading to paranoia. But still, it never stopped him from looking through the menu in hopes something would interest him. To this date: Nothing else had interested him.

"You should quit teasing the waitresses like that. One day they might thing you're going to break from habit." Milla chided as she slid in to the booth as she grabbed her own menu.

Sasha just turned the page at that and scanned over the different kinds of soups being offered. "How has work been?"

"Well, we're out of Tennis Bars, so I am sure the White House will be upset." She said obviously teasing while tucking some hair behind her ear as a small group walked by their booth. "But overall, everything has been going smoothly, although we have no leads yet."

Sasha grimaced a little, he hated it when they were pretty much given a sheet of paper that said 'We have no evidence, but we think this guy did it because we said so.' which was exactly how the Levi case was turning out to be at the moment.

"And you? How are you enjoying your day off, I heard you had coffee with some woman." Milla kept on looking at the menu.

"It was a fan."

Milla peered over the menu with a skeptical look. "A fan? Really?"

"You just kicked me out of the headquarters and the bus didn't arrive yet, she stopped me and I saw no harm in paying for me a cup of coffee so she could talk about our mysterious adventures and talk about how she thinks Sir Jonas was a body surfer."

Milla put the menu down on the table. "You actually listened to her ramble on about some comic book theory? Do you have a fever?" She peeled off a white glove and brushed aside that bang that always seemed to fall into the middle of Sasha's face and placed a delicate hand on his forehead. Sasha leaned forward just a hair, just enough to prove he didn't have a fever.

"You told me I needed a hobby, so I decided to see what was so interesting about the Comics. So far I have only found one thing of value in them."

"I assume it isn't the astounding story telling?" Milla laughed a little, it was nice to see Sasha doing something out of the norm for him after all everyone needed a little spice to their lives and Sasha's lacked plenty of spice outside of work. Sasha shook his head.

"No, as I was flipping through the comics, I noticed a reoccurring character that would appear in each crowd scene we would provide pictures for." The waitress came by and they placed their orders. "Now, I figure it is most likely an Easter egg, but-"

"You wanted to find out for sure, so you fibbed over the phone to me." she placed the menu to the side, sounding both mildly annoyed and bemused at the entire situation.

Sasha mostly picked up on the annoyed and mentally cringed at that. "Now, I thought you would be glad I have a hobby."

"Even though it won't last long." Milla said pulling out the pictures for Sasha to look at. He flipped through looking for the ones in the issues he read.

"Actually, I think it might last a little longer than expected." He pulled the pictures out and laid them on the table and pointed to the man.

"Who is that?" he questioned as Milla picked up one of the images and studied the man's face.

"I don't know." She admitted, going through her mental registry of everyone she knew- which was a lot. "And he is in the photographs we took in 'restricted' areas." She kept on staring at him then at Sasha.

"That is a bit weird." And they both knew it was suspicious and she could already tell what Sasha was thinking. "Do you really want to spend your days off going through the Psychonauts registry seeing who this person is?"

Sasha was already pulling out photos with the man in them. "Yes, yes I do, Agent Vodello." He said more to himself then to her. Milla knew she was in a uphill battle then figured if he wanted to look at everyone registered to work for the Psychonauts, more power to him.

"Do you also want the non-Psychics?"

"Everyone from A to Z, including Admiral Cruller, Janitor Cruller and the much dreaded Zookeeper Cruller."

Milla laughed little at that, "It was a bit of a mistake taking him to the zoo with the children."

"I could have stayed at camp and kept an eye on everything."

"But then you would have missed the Flamingos."

"They smelled terrible."

"Oh darling, it seems like one of your favorite hobbies is complaining. Why don't you just relax a little."

"Remember, you said I didn't have hobbies so I am doing this." Sasha peered over the rim of his sunglasses, "Also, I am relaxing. I read some comic books and am now going to be playing a complex game of 'Guess Who?'"

Their food arrived and each started to pick at it, Milla cutting her sandwich in half while Sasha seemed to sort through his salad. "Besides, we should find them anyways."

Milla looked up from her meal, popping a chip into her mouth. "We should only if incase it turns out he is something more than a man who appears at the right place at the right time to get a picture taken." She added some ketchup onto her plate. "And if he is just that, we should find out just how he manages to be there at all the right times."

Sasha rested a hand on the table. "You think you can drop those off at my apartment this evening?" He knew he wouldn't get much sleep tonight. He was nothing if not obsessive once he got his mind focused on something. And because he couldn't work on his PROPER case because a certain woman sitting across from him deemed in necessary to make sure he didn't work this weekend, he had to do this.

Milla frowned a little, "I'll bring dinner by and we can look through them together."  
"Now, I am sure you should be resting, after all, you got to go to work."

"Darling, you make it sound like I went to the circus or an amusement park while you were stuck at the dentist's office."

Sasha frowned a little, "With the cleanliness of both places, I would rather go to the dentist's office- yes even after what happened during the summer." He rolled a cherry tomato to the side of his plate. "And you should let me borrow your part of the Levi file."

"I already gave you everything I had." She said, "Relax, don't be a machine. Just play 'Guess Who?' with the comic fellow." She was looking at the pictures still. "And should I bring in our resident _True Psychic Tales_experts to help wi-"

"No. I am not reading them for fun, this is serious business."

"Razputin and Lili find the comics to be serious business." The tanned woman laughed, less at the idea of reading the comics and more about how Sasha was treating them. "But, whatever makes you happy. Maybe I should pick you up your own issues so you don't have to borrow any more from the girl."

"She and I are meeting up tomorrow so she can lend me more."

"You do know this might be a ploy just to get your autograph right?"

Sasha blinked, honestly confused. "Why would she want that? She just likes the comics." Even with all evidence pointing to the fact that yes he was a hero to people and thus he had fans, he never would quite get it. Milla knew this and while she enjoyed the fans, because well, she always knew she had the potential to be famous. She also accepted that Sasha really didn't see anything outside of his own personal bubble besides facts and figures and that in his own way he had his head in the clouds about what all he could find out.

She looked outwards at people and he looked inwards at the facts. They balanced.

"Well, you are a hero."

"I just do my job." He said now folding pieces of lettuce over with his knife and fork before eating it. "From what I have read versus what I know about myself, I am not how the comics portray me. For one, I do not always have some sarcastic witty phrase ready for whenever a fight breaks out. I consider myself lucky if I can make a joke post fight that isn't laughed at because it is…how do you describe it?"

"Cheesier than Wisconsin. And that sentence."

"And that ended my career as a standup comedian."

"The world will miss and mourn your humor, Mr. Nein."

And the rest of the meal went like that.

"I'll be over at six." The woman said as they stood up, she hooked her arm with his.

"I'll expect you at six fifteen, Agent Vodello." With his free hand, Sasha pulled out his wallet to pay for their meals. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Now, you go home. It looks like the weather might get worse."

"If so, either you stay at work, or you'll stay at mine." Sasha said, seeing nothing wrong with a friend staying over the night, not like he and Milla hadn't shared a bed before even though Milla called him a 'tease' for it.

"We won't get snowed in." she deadpanned as she unhooked their arms so she could go back to work and he back home with a new bit of evidence for his new hobby. He opened up the folder and stared at the picture, trying to think of who it could be.

Maybe they could be someone from the FBI- no, very few agents from the FBI worked with the Psychonauts only because of security issues and he had all of those people listed in his cellphone as family members.

He couldn't be local police because they were all in different locations.

There had to be something connecting it all together.


	3. A not so subtle hint

Sasha once more tossed a folder on his coffee table as he entered his apartment. Perhaps now he could go home and stay home and just work on the mini-mystery that had landed in his lap. The sky was finally letting the snow fall from it as he knew that means Milla would probably spend the night so he tossed some meat out of the freezer to defrost.

He went to the folder and pulled the images out, looking at them carefully, and wondering if he should scan them in to look at them in closer detail. Just one or two, nothing to get the Psychonauts upset about. He zoomed in on them hoping to get more details on the man's face. The silver-blond hair was actually white, he had a familiar face but he couldn't quite pin it down. He tried to take in each feature, a weak jawline, a high forehead, and eyebrows too bushy.

What was the familiar air about him? Sasha knew he must have met the man sometime and someplace before. He zoomed in a bit more so he could try and figure out the man's details, his weight, his height… Then he noticed something.

Sloppy Photoshopping. Just in one small area of hair.

It was too clumpy. He reached for his phone and to call Milla.

He paused for a moment. Should he really call Milla over something like this? Really? He bit down on his bottom lip for a moment pondering this. Yes. Yes he should.

"Milla," he started as he finally dialed her number. "I want the names of the photographers and whoever touched the images before they got shipped off to _True Psychic Tales._"

"Hello to you too." She said, writing out the request/order on a sticky note. "Mind if I ask why?"

"They are edited."

Milla stopped her note scribbling for a moment. "Excuse me?"

"Edited." He knew what that meant, for the files nothing was allowed to be edited in such a way. It would mean people could claim things that did not happen. "Or at least one of them so far." He looked at the other one he scanned, and it too had the sloppy bit of hair editing. "Make that two. Still bring the files to my place so we can see who was put in and if not, who could have done it."

"Why can't you ever do anything without it becoming a show somehow, darling?"

"I put the blame fully on you, you were the one who suggested-"

"A new hobby, I know and I am regretting it." She prayed they would not be involved with a running battle anytime soon, she had filled her quota for the month and honestly, she had ruined too many shoes for her paycheck to be happy.

"But now, we have a fraud case on our hands."

"Your hands."

"When has that ever worked?"

Never. It has never worked; there was a reason why Sasha and Milla was a pair. One couldn't get themselves a toe into trouble on their own without the other one deciding it would be a good idea to join in. Maybe, quite maybe, this is why the two of them worked together quite well.

"Sasha, remember, we do have another case on our hands."

"And we can't just magic evidence out of a case so cold I could store food in the file. We're waiting for new evidence and nothing is coming up." The agent took a breath before he would continue. "So we might as well investigate a fraud case in the gaps of time waiting for someone to look into a crystal ball and see something. Or better yet maybe he will brainwash everyone at the next Kabbage Boy concert where they imagine a demon made of metal crushing the band into tiny bite sized pieces. Then at least we would have a slight pattern of 'Likes Music'. If you could consider Kabbage Boy music."

He heard Milla sigh and knew she was shaking her head at him. "They are Second Wave of American Tween Melodic Rap Metalcore."

"…I am going to pretend you didn't know what that was. I have higher standards for you than that."

"We work with children, we should know what they like."

"That's simple, take the stupidest thing you can think of and make it bright colored."

"But back on topic, darling. We need to focus on our main case, I'll ask Truman if we can use this as something to fill up our spare time at work."

Sasha nodded as he wrote down more information that he could gather from the pictures, checking his email to see if Miss Luka would be meeting him tomorrow. Or more precisely, them. He was going to make Milla come along to do the socializing and perhaps find out if a fan of the comics could find a trend besides what he had already figured out.

Maybe he was in other parts also? Just drawn in as a space filler, perhaps even given a name.

He then realized nodding can't be seen over the telephone as he spoke: "Of course, thank you. I am sure he will allow it."

He hung up once they said their goodbyes as a message from Luka popped up saying she would if she could because if it snowed, she wouldn't be able to leave her house due to a paralyzing fear of getting into a snowy accident between two semi-trucks and her car/body wouldn't be found until spring and by then she would be a frozen corpse on defrost.

Suddenly, the meat defrosting on the counter didn't seem so good. Especially, since it was hamburger.

They would order out instead, neglecting the think about the fact that the delivery person would then have the chance to be transformed into mincemeat.

Sasha decided then to type 'True Psychic Tales + Minor Characters + Reoccurring Characters' into a search engine.

Then many results popped up and he clicked on one of the top links, it was mildly creepy seeing this page. Someone had taken time out of their lives to gather some HTML, scan images, and document the lives of the characters in the comics.

Including him and Milla.

He kept from looking at his profile as he went to the minor characters section and started to go through it. Razputin was getting listed as a new character, Truman was going to have a information page built about him, and near the middle he saw a familiar orange face.

Name: Ceasar Ehsas  
_Not much is known about Ceasar besides the fact he appears in the background of many crowd scenes. He was only given a name on a message board when Jameson said that when he was looking for the contact information for the characters he wasn't named and that it took calling the Editors to find out the man's name. Since then, we are given small bits of information via Q+A sessions from people wanting to know more about the world of _True Psychic Tales. _He enjoys church music, is retrocognitive and has a fear of water._

He was shocked actually. People wanted to know more about a comic book world instead of sitting down and learning more about the real world? That was disgusting. Then it hit him. It fell right in his lap, or at least mostly. This could be fake information made up to make a horde of what looked like insane fans who wrote _fanfiction _about him to be silent.

That added to his search as he went back to the search engine and typed in the name.

Again thousands of results, most of them for the comics repeating the same thing he found on the first page he looked at. He decided then to go to the publisher for the comic's site and decided to see if he could find their contact information. After about 5 minutes he had decided whomever made this website hated their readers for the simple fact there was no way to get into contact with them. Unless one decided to click links blindly and eventually hope to trip over something-anything. A part of him was shouting 'THIS IS STUPID' at him while another part was telling him to keep on going so he wouldn't be defeated by a bunch of pixels.

In the movies, they often made things like this seem to happen quickly. The 5 seconds to hack a file? The phone call picked up in three rings? Sasha Nein would give his right hand to be able to have one case work like that, even this one.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating! Life had suddenly become too busy. Here is hoping I can update regularly again.


	4. Lucid Dreamer

When Milla Vodello walked into Sasha's apartment without so much as knocking, she saw the German psychic leaning back in his chair, feet propped on the edge of his desk. A cigarette was dangling from his lips unlit and the phone was tucked neatly in the crook between his shoulder and his ear. "I need any information you have on Ceasar Ehsas." Sasha said to the phone, waving at Milla to sit down or get a drink or swing her hips or something, she could never quite tell when he did a vague hand gesture as she took it as 'Make yourself at home, Milla.' As she moved to sit down by the coffee table, littered with comics and notes and pictures.

From what she can see, so far Sasha has jumped a little too deeply into this fraud case, he picked up one of the pages of notes and looked over it, he had-luckily for her- decided to write in English where everything was EVENLY SPACED AND ALL CAPITAL LETTERS as if thought anyone reading his notes in English were too dumb to comprehend that the small letters were also letters. There were numbers and notes on this Ceasar guy, people who sent the files, how to contact various artists and writers. Sasha was agreeing to get an email sent to him as he hung up and looked at Milla.

"Want to know what I have found out?" Sasha seemed mildly pleased for his one afternoon of solid work on a story that would have been better suited for a rookie agent.

"Well, darling, that would be a little bit helpful if I am going to be helping you with your fraud case this weekend. I already talked to Truman-" she said opening up her bright pink clutch bag and started to rummage in it looking for whatever women kept in their purses. Sasha just knew that whenever he looked into her purse, he felt like that he was going to go cross-eyed and wondered why she even bothered asking him to find something when he would just eventually hand it over to her for her to find the item in 3 seconds.

"Already?" Sasha didn't mind her talking to Truman about the case, but he did mind it when right now his case was as substantial as cotton candy.

"Yes, already, he says he doesn't care as long as you're not on premise or doing over time on it, because there are federal laws we have to fo-" She pulled out some chap stick and was going to apply it once she was done talking.

"Good, anyways-" Or whenever Sasha interrupted her, whichever came first. She narrowed her eyes at her partner as she was going to do the same right back at him.

"Thank you for letting me finish." This was true friendship, the willingness to interrupt one another not out of spite (well, this time didn't count because she knew she would have to point it out to him.)

"Anyways, this is Ceasar Ehsas." Milla nodded as she could read that on the picture Sasha had printed out, circled the mysterious man, and wrote in names everywhere, including his own and her own just in case he happened to forget one day, she presumed. "He is a psychic, but not in the Psychonaut's database." This made Milla jerk her head up a little from the picture.

"Oh?"

"Yes, he isn't strong enough to be considered a threat, but because of how about 5 years ago, he was wandering around Romania with fugue state, he was checked into a hospital. There is abilities manifested, but due to the laws in the EU when it comes to psychics-" those laws were that they only needed to be registered if they seemed to be a threat to themselves or others, with a fugue state that was considered a possible threat to self for a psychic, "He didn't have to be registered with the European branch of Psychonauts, just his local area with any abilities they could find."

"And those abilities were retrocognition and channeling." Retrocognition, both agents knew, was the less famous sibling to precognition, instead of seeing the future one would see the past . But channeling often had skewed ideas when it came to it.

"So, what could he channel?" Milla was praying it wasn't Gods or anything thing like that. Those always seemed to be the ones who snapped the quickest and easiest if some rouge telepathy told them that it would be great to shoot up a mall or drown a person because a sacrifice was needed.

"He could channel what he said was his previous lives." Sasha said this in a nice even tone, as if he was suggesting what they should make for dinner.

"Past lives, as in his own or his energy's?"

"Depends on what you mean for both." When a psychic dies, there was a theory that their energy went to get reborn in new person, which was why there seemed to be a steady occurrence of certain types of psychics. And of course there was always the people who belived that one's own soul could be reborn into a new form- even if the memories did not go with it. Energy could not be destroyed it could go to a new form.

"He says his energy has stayed with all of his lives, except for one."

But that was, of course, if you believed in all of that. Sasha personally didn't but he knew of many psychics who did believe in things like souls and rebirth and other metaphysical things. Even though his life was one metaphysical thing away from another comic book series.

"That sounds kind of odd."

Sasha would have wanted to question her by which context she meant 'odd'. There was the odd of someone who didn't battle people to save the president's brain from a sewer filled with sharks, and then there was the odd that did belong to that category of people.

"I know." Sasha said, moving from his desk to sit on the couch next to Milla. "So, how did he end up in our comics, you're asking yourself."

"No, I am asking myself how you got this information."

"Close enough, it ties into how he got into the comics." Sasha leaned back; he could not believe what he was going to be talking about during his off time for this case. He picked at the cloth on the couch, and then moved to pick off some lint from his jacket.

"Then please, inform me."

"Lord Jonas." Who was Sir Jonas' brother, the psychic that Luka thought was a body surfer. Sasha was of the school of thought body surfers could and never would exists and if you believed it, you honestly needed some form of mental help.

Milla took a deep breath in, "But, he has nothing to do with the comics."

"Except for the right to use his brother's name. It seems from what I heard, Lord after having his psyche picked apart-"

"How did you find that out?"

"Che." One of the agents who was more relaxed on dress code, like herself and had the ability to back it up. Milla frowned, Che was a pyrokentic and had the personality of one even though he tried to tone it down around her. "It turns out he worked on the follow up cases." They tried to keep agents working on only ONE part of a case so incase one of them went insane, they wouldn't destroy too many lives. If Sasha and her were doing follow-up, that means they weren't on the main part of the case.

"Well, I was tired of being jerked around on the phone, so I asked him if he knew any more contact numbers. He asked me why and I told him about Mr. Ehsas here. Turns out Lord Jonas was a friend of his and said that the only way he would allow to see his family named tarnished was if he could get him in it."

"So, why would the files be edited on our side-?" And then once more before she could get the words out of her mouth, Sasha had interrupted her. Friendship. This was how it went for everyone, right?

"Because someone deleted the originals when _True Psychic Tales_sent the agency the edited copies for permission. So, a newbie took the files, thought they were just hi-resed or something and replaced the copies without asking permission to do so."

"Why didn't they ask permission?" Milla questioned back with a furrow of her brow.

"Because they found out they were going to be let go, so they wanted one bit of rebellion. So they figured getting rid of pictures without permission to replace with what they thought were exact copies would be the best way to do it."

"So, what are we doing about it?" She figured Sasha was going to file an offical report so any future agents reading the comics would not be confused.

"Nothing, because as Che said, those pictures were only there for the comics and not for our own use. "

"So, case solved?" she questioned. There. Mystery person discovered, how it happened, solved; they can now go turn on a Charlie Brown Christmas and call it a lovely winter evening.

"No."

"No?"

"Yes, because now the question is why would Lord Jonas, out of doing anything else he could have to make sure his family name could be used in the comics along with his image, he would want this one man in them."

"Best friends?"

"Nope." Sasha said easily.

"Why do you say that?"

"Nowhere in Lord's mind was any images of Ceasar, which meant they met post investigation, but just before Lord set down his demands, which was all of a three week incident. "

Milla did the math, "Which was when Ceasar was found with his fugue." Why would someone with no thoughts of someone in his mind ask for them to be in the comic?

"That's right." Milla watched Sasha flick some ashes off of his cigarette, now they've solved one mystery, they have another on their hands.

This mystery had started merely because of a girl handing Sasha a few comics and talking about a theory they had about a bodysurfer. In the world of psychics, pure body surfing was impossible. But Sasha had noticed something odd about the comics and now he was making a list of a minor weekend mysteries he should solve before Monday morning so he could focus more on Levi case.

Sasha popped his back as he looked over at Milla fussing around in a closet trying to find some more blankets as he started to compile his cases.

His most important one, The Levi Case, was cold.

This was followed by the odd case of Ceasar Ehsas, the psychic who woke up in a fugue state upon realizing his retrocognaitive and channeling psychic abilities and Lord Jonas who demanded that Ceasar be placed in the comics even though the two had never met.

Sasha lit his cigarette and took a deep drag of it. It calmed him, he understood the reasoning behind the chemicals and the hand to mouth motion which was supposed to be a calming affect that he could replicate in a thousand different ways, but he just preferred this one. Even if Milla said he was going to kill himself because of it.

This could suggest a million different things from dreams to strings of fate to lucky guesses or possible mind control.

"In the morning, lets go talk to Lord Jonas." Sasha one time tried just to just the first name, and it sounded just silly, but using Mr. Jonas would get people confused with Sir. He would give the children he never will have nice normal names, such as Helga and Hans or something along those lines. He did like Chloe, until he got a camper of that name, now he felt like the name was out of the possibility of use.

Milla nodded, "So we can ask him just why he asked for Ehsas to be placed in the comics for his cooperation?"

Sasha nodded, "And maybe for contact information for him too." But Sasha doubt it would be that easy, it wouldn't be like: 'Hey, can we talk to the person you asked to have in the comics?' 'Sure, Mr. Nein! Love to! Here is his phone number he is best reached after 6pm.' Because life, unlike moving hacking was a chaotic thing that wanted to never be easy for anyone.

"What about your date?" Milla teased.

Luka. The girl who got him on this quest to start off with, the one who said she might not show up because of snow and an innate fear of being turned into hamburger meat in a car accident. "Well, if the roads are icy, we can assume she didn't go to church. If they are not, we can simply stop by and our way to Lord Jonas' apartment. He is due to be checked up on anyways. You should call Che and tell him you're doing it."

Sasha knew Milla was prickling at that, they both knew Che was nice, except Milla…just couldn't stand him. Sasha liked him, they were…friends almost. Sasha didn't use the term friend lightly, so maybe one day…

He took another drag as he stood up, sensing the delivery man was near and grabbed his wallet and opened the door. Sure enough, there the old delivery man was, food in hand and Sasha handed over the cash and took the food without nary a word.

"One day, they are going to spit in your food dear. You're so rude to the poor delivery men."

Suddenly, dinner didn't look too good. He tried to give them decent tips to help make up for it, but why would he want to make small talk with the delivery people? It wasn't like they were going to forge a bond so deep and soul searing over a 15 second exchange over Chinese or pizza.

Milla sighed, "We both know they won't dear. Now sit down and eat."

The evening passed with no fanfare. They ate, they chatted, they used the TV as background noise to what was going on in their lives and they fell asleep.

And once more, Sasha dreamed.

Sasha was standing in a pitch black room and a spotlight was on him. He could hear the mumbling voices of various men and women.

"These things don't tend to happen." A female voice. "When someone leaves, they tend to just leave. It is very, very rare for them to want to stick around like that."

Sasha knew he was dreaming, he hated lucid dreams.

A male voice. "At least no one stands in the light for long. Soon the light will fade and someone else will be standing in it. This is pretty much your only time to shine."

Sasha felt tired, heavy, as if he used up all the energy in his being.

"It seems like a long time, but it isn't really, in comparison to others. Before they leave. We just wait for the next show. One day, we will get the final act."

Sasha hated when his mind wanted to pretend to be mysterious in lucid dreams, and instead it spout off only a bunch of nonsense.

Sasha slunk down to his knees, in this proverbial black room with the light on him. He felt his eyes get heavy. He noticed his clothing, it wasn't his. They were the clothes of James Levi. Sasha could already chalk up why he was in them, from trying to mentally place himself in the man's shoes to looking at the man's last known picture to the case just being on his mind and perhaps his brain was warning him he needed a break from the case or else he might go insane.

He fell asleep. He opened his eyes. He shut them once more. He opened them.

Once more he greeted the dusty squares of light. He felt like he got no sleep and Milla was bright and up already. If one were expecting that when you had Milla Vodello over you would wake up to her mothering you into eating a well rounded breakfast, you would be wrong. She was the girl who liked to party late and her sleeping habits reflected it, but she also tended to have to work early in the morning. So her breakfast was usually coffee and whatever else she could rummage up. Right now it was some chips and onion dip.

"Please tell me you scooped the dip into its own bowl."

"Please tell me you're honestly not scared of possible germs." She said, in response. She wasn't a morning bird either. Neither liked the morning, and both didn't sleep well. "Especially after you stole all the sheets and got tangled in them." In other words, she slept worse then she normally did.

"You may continue ruining my dip then. Please take it home with you, I never ate it anyways."

"I know dear." She said, giving absolutely zero cares when it came to the contamination of the food he bought with his own money. That was just rude, but then again, he wasn't going to glare at Milla about it. There were more constructive things he could be doing with the energy it would have taken. Such as getting some coffee.

So, Sasha went and used that energy to pour himself some coffee as he looked out the window. It snowed, but not enough to be worrisome in the morning, he looked over at his computer, where sure enough, he saw that he had an email from Luka telling him about the books.

He should tell her to just forget it, but that would be rude. And he didn't want to be rude to the girl who kept him from having a boring weekend with a Sudoku-cube.


	5. The Brother

"Okay." Luka said, the butt of her palms against her cheek bones and fingers sprayed outward. "So, I got this idea." Her glass blue eyes were wide and focused forward. "Because, I decided to use Google. I was like 'Hey, Luka, Google yourself.' And then I was like: 'While you're doing that, Google some fanfics.' I like fics you know."

Milla was enjoying listen to this girl talk, her conversation would flow and bounce from topic to topic, which she considered a good sign. Sasha on the other hand considered it a sign that she needed some verbal horse-blinders and keep on topic. Somehow when they went to Luka's church, she had invited them in for coffee and to talk. Milla accepted, so while she was listening to the girl chitter on about fics and theories and how she discovered everything Sasha did last night. Sasha was nursing the cup of coffee and looking to the front of the church.

It had a simple layout, no glass stained windows like the churches in movies, no long aisle for weddings. The alter was simple, instead of the twisted and broken body of Christ, it had a peaceful one of him on the cross. A simple building. With a girl who wanted to make herself overly complex to the side of him.

"So, darling, what do your fics say when it comes to the man."

"Okay, so Ceasar is actually a super-super psychic. Like SOOPER." She was too energetic. Sasha sighed at how she felt it necessary to stress how SOOPER Ceasar must be to sneak into all of the scenes in the comics.

"What Mr. Nein, got a better theory?" Luka asked as she downed her own cup of coffee, seemingly immune to the heat of it all.

"Yes, he is merely an Easter egg type character, which is common in series, for example, the cabbage man in that one cartoon."

"I never imagined you to watch cartoons, dear." Milla said trailing her finger along the edge of the mug, Sasha glared at her from her as Luka stood up.

"I'll link you to fics." She said with a nod, black hair bouncing around her face.

"That would be lovely." Milla said, and Sasha suddenly felt like Milla hated him as he now imagined he was going to get a fanfiction starring him in a romantic journey with one of the men he helped arrest.

The girl waved and bounced off as Milla stood, Sasha followed suit as they headed out to the car.

"Why would you do that to me?" Sasha questioned as Milla unlocked the car and slid into the driver's side. Sasha sat down after tossing her purse into the back seat, where it landed on a lockbox with some files she needed to take to work once she was done with this bit of investigation for the day.

"Because," she buckled up and moved out of the church parking lot. "She is an outside source, perhaps she can give us some insight. She did hand you the comics in the first place, besides. Whats the worse that could happen? If she turns out to be irritating, I know you will just label it as SPAM as you did with my Mother."

Sasha cringed, "I don't know why you gave her my e-mail address either, she only sends me chain letters saying that-"

"Because she wanted to get to know you, so you should really e-mail her back and say you've been busy."

Sasha cringed as Milla said that, "You know, because of things like this, people think we're romantically involved." And he knew Milla didn't care. But he did, Milla- Milla deserved a man with as much energy as she did and shouldn't be held back because of a rumor. "I'm going to smoke."

"No, you're not."

"I'll give Che your e-mail and tell you to respond to it because he wants to get to know you."

And with that, Milla pushed the car-lighter in so Sasha wouldn't be playing with pyrokensis in the car. Sasha knew he won with that.

"You better e-mail her though. She worries about you."

"Only because you made me seem inept." Sasha countered. Sure, at the moment when Milla and her mom were talking over the phone, he was being mildly inept, but it was Milla's oven was odd and he didn't mean to destroy that Tupperware dish because she stored the dish down in the 'lower oven'. That was stupid.

"She doesn't think you're inept, she just thinks you need a fem-"

"Agent Vodello- if you finish that sentence the way I know you are going to, I will get out of this car right now. "

She waved her hand at Sasha before turning on some music and Sasha pulled out a cigarette.

-

Governor's Park Apartments was a shady looking place, it was the kind of place that Sasha avoided looking at when trying to find his own apartment a while ago. The building was a dark dingy brown and three stories high, the snow around it had already turned a deep gray color to match the dilapidated fence around it. Perhaps, if someone gave the building some love and care, perhaps it would have been something that people not down on their luck would have wanted to rent from. But, as it stood, with the broken blinds visible from the windows, bedsheets being used as curtains and dead plantlife trying to not-thrive around it, no one in their right mind would rent from it.

Except, Lord Jonas. Lord Jonas was the younger brother of a mad-man who for a lack of better terms, brainwashed many people into joining his cult, 'The Veil' before committing suicide by cop. Lord Jonas was someone who would support his brother no matter what because he had always felt his brother protected him. Sasha and Milla was visiting him to talk about his relationship with Ceasar Ehsas.

The first thing Sasha noticed when stepping into the apartment building was the overpowering smell of litterboxes, followed by the smell of mothballs. He knew it was appropriate knowing the state of the building, but that didn't mean he wanted it to be true. He looked over at Milla, her expression was as perfectly honed into a smile as always. If he was just going off of it, instead of his own nose, he would assume she just waltzed into a field of sunflowers.

Jonas was on the second story as Sasha and Milla took the stairs, Sasha kept his hand on the railing in fear that one too many cats had used the stairs as their litterbox/scratching post and the combined weight of Milla and him on it would send it crashing down. The stairwell met a landing with a potted plant on it and they moved up to the second story. The smell was less up here, perhaps the smell would be gone if the man was on the third story. Maybe people had to pay more to get the upstairs ones. Who knew?

Sasha knew Jonas would recognize them, they were there when his brother was shot. They were the ones to into 'The Veil' and record what was happening before bringing it down. Sasha felt nervous. The man was harmless, a psychic who didn't want to be one. But Sasha could also remember Sir Jonas' muddled brown eyes scanning his face, hand clinched around Sasha's jaw, the German feeling the man trying to bore his way in. Their foreheads meeting for a second as the man said that for some unknown reason, he hated Sasha more than anything else in the world.

Now, if Sasha didn't hear that with most of the people he helped bring down, he might have cared. The only time he cared was when he would see the families of these madmen and women. The ones who stand there in shock as the bodybag was brought out or they would approach the bench and explain why they thought it would be good to burn someone in sacrifice to a God their own abilities made up in the corner of his mind. The families would be thinking: You could save everyone else, why not them?

Because he wasn't a savior. Because he was just a man, currently standing in front of a paint-peeled door waiting for the brother to answer it. He shifted his weight from one foot to another. The silence of trying to look professional. The door opened up, and there was a strong looking man. Lord Jonas.

Sir Jonas, was a bit of a mousey looking individual. When Sasha had seen him, he had thin wire frame glasses, and a body to match. He had too much forehead and not enough face. He tried to make up for his physical small-ness by trying to portray a larger than life image. Where he was God and those close to him were lucky.

It made Sasha think of people who would keep tigers as pets, to show mastery over nature by thinking the monster of an animal loved and worship them. Looking at Lord Jonas, it made Sasha realize that must have been one reason Sir protected Lord and Lord would give an undying love for his brother. He was a large man with a square jaw and a neck thicker then Sasha's head. His hair was cut short.

His clothes tried to make himself look smaller. The baby brother. The man looked down at Sasha and Milla recognizing them, he focused more on Sasha than on Milla, and Sasha knew why. Sasha was the bad cop in people's eyes. It was why children loved his character in the comics. Milla was dangerous, but people didn't see it. They saw the beautiful swan with her, not the creature that would drown you if you messed with it. He was labeled the dangerous one. The obvious sexism of comics.

"Uh. Um. Hello Mr. Nein, Miss Vodello." Lord said, stepping to the side. "I, um. Heard you were doing my check up today." Milla could tell he was scared, even though he was trying to be polite. She smiled, she looked beautiful. She was the swan.

"Don't stress darling, we only have a few more questions than normal, mostly about the comic books."

Lord blinked a few times as Milla followed Sasha in. Sasha looked about the apartment. Model airplanes hung from the ceiling, ships in bottles on the shelves, jars of peanut butter and nutella on the counter. It was like the man didn't figure out he was an adult.

"The comics?" he asked back, Sasha moved to answer.

"Correct, for the use of your family name being used, you asked for someone to be put into the pages."

Lord blinked a few times as if trying to figure out why anyone would care.

"Yes, yes, but we will get to that later. Sit down because I am sure you want the boring part over, Mister Jonas." Sasha noticed how the man couldn't keep his eyes off Milla's face. It was a mild star struck crush all men seemed to have got on her.

"Uh. Um. Sure. Uh…I was making lunch- do you want anything?"

Sasha knew he was asking Milla.

Milla just waved her hand. "No thank you, dear. We just had breakfast and I am sure you want us out of your hair as soon as possible."

Sasha knew Jonas would want himn out of his hair as soon as possible. Milla though, Milla he would want to keep in it. Sasha felt an odd jealousy when it came to Milla. She would always be his partner, but he didn't like it when other men got too close. Talked too much with her. This was why he knew he should never try and pursue something more with her. She deserved someone not jealous.

Milla took a seat, crossing her legs as Sasha kept standing. Lord kept bouncing his eyes between the two, as if Sasha would pounce and attack him.

"So, what have you been up to?" Milla questioned, a nice open ended question instead of the line of questions one always had to ask. Milla got the information she would need that way, like always. Getting people to tell it to her by dancing around it with feather soft steps.

Lord looked hilariously large in his lay-z-boy chair. Hands on his knees, sweater vest bunched in a variety of ways. Lord worked for his brother. Sasha had to keep reminding himself of that, even though it was through partial brainwashing and mostly love. He was more than a man child sitting there and looking at Milla with large eyes.

"Well, I went to the grocers because they were having a sale on asparagus. I then went to the meeting with Joan." Joan was a woman who used to be part of the Veil also. She was nothing more than someone who would give out advertisements at underground rallies. "Dr. Hobbs thinks that we're both recovering nicely, although I don't like it when I hear people speak so ill of Sir. Yeah, he did some shitty things, but he was my brother. "

Sasha tried to put the image of the loving big brother next to the image he had of Sir in his mind. He only saw the crimes. Milla could see the man.

"Besides, it's just rude to speak ill of the dead."

"Of course, but I am sure he would have understood if he was looking back on it now."

Quit making Sir look like a lost lamb, Milla. He destroyed lives. He wasn't a madman. He was just evil. He thought non-psychics ranked on a lower tier of human evolution and thought that since childhood. Sasha tried to merge Lord's image of the loving big brother with his own image of the man who if he was still alive, Sasha knew would be shouting rude things at him along with other inmates of the penitentiary at him.

"Well, I dunno, ma'am. He had a lot of anger. And I am seeing it now, back then I didn't. I remember how one day he told me that he was going to take on the world and I knew that as his brother I should be with him. That I should stand beside him."

Milla was still getting more then what she needed for the quick check up already. Sasha wanted to pick the lint ball off the afghan behind him but that would be rude, it would draw too much attention to him when it comes to situation.

"I know. I have a big sister myself, if she did something, I know I would want to help her too. But then again, I know I would have had more support then you would've if you didn't."

Lord bobbed his head up and down at this, glad that for once someone was seeing his side of the story besides the fact he was dumb to follow a madman.

"Yeah, I know he shouldn't have done those things, and I feel fuckin' guilty that he did them and I should've stopped him somehow, but I did think he would come to his sense on his own, and I dunno. I could have helped him run to Maui or something."

Milla could now fill out the psychological update report without much hassle now, so now Sasha was going to step in.

"But-" he started wondering how Milla would say it so he wouldn't seem as abrasive as many people did in things that would require all the tact in the world. "in the end, all you could do was protect your family's name."

Lord nodded, maybe Sasha understood too? Maybe he was just odd when it came to dealing with these types of situations. Sasha knew Lord knew how much Sir hated him. After all, Sasha remembered the trial, and how Lord would go on about how Sir said 'Nein was going to destroy everything when he got the chance to do it.' And that being how psychics shouldn't hide. Nein was the badguy. Vodello was the good one. Good cop. Bad cop. A normal part of their lives here.

"So, why did you sell it out to put Ceasar Ehsas in the comics."

Milla facepalmed at that, Lord glared at Sasha and how he made him seem like a traitor to his family. The large man stood up and moved to the kitchen as Milla followed him to try and make Sasha seem like he was inept at these things. Sasha knew he wasn't inept, but he didn't like dancing around the subject. Why should he? If the man had nothing to hide, he should simply tell him the information, and it was selling out the family name.

Sasha could hear what Milla was saying.

"Sorry for Sasha- he's all paperwork. I tend to foist it on to him and so he has no idea how to use his manners." Sasha knew she was trying to soothe over what could be a bad thing, but he hated how one always had to worry about stepping on some proverbial toes to get information someone shouldn't be scared of hiding. "He can be real sweet once he gets to know someone but until then- no manners."

"I didn't sell out my family name for no good reason, and it wasn't sellin' out." The man said, Sasha could tell from here he was probably standing at full height, trying to make himself not seem like some little man- besides what the man's clothing tried to suggest. "I did it because a friend asked me to."

"Ceasar, dear?" There we go, information. And Sasha was stuck sitting in the living room looking at the shelf with bottled ships on it.

"Nah, Jimmy. He asked me to do it." Jimmy? Lord never mentioning having a friend by that name. He was supposed to mention who he kept in contact with.

Milla also knew that, so it came as no surprise when she said, "Why didn't you tell us about Jimmy?"

"Because he wouldn't like being checked up on. He knew my bro. Hung out with him a lot but I doubt he knew anything about the group. Hell whenever he came over, Sir made sure that we hid anything that he might see."

Milla nodded, Sasha could sense from his spot that Lord was telling the honest to god from what he knew truth. Sasha didn't know if Sir was only trying to make sure all parts of the group was safe from a betrayer in one side. But not to trust Lord…

"Well, Jimmy said he wanted his friend in it. Because his friend is lookin' for someone." Milla cocked her head, as she pushed her hair from her face.

"Maybe we can help?" she said, of course. If they wanted to solve this mystery fully they would have to find whomever Jimmy's friend was looking for.

"Is it Mr. Ehsas?"

"Naw." Lord said, "Jimmy said the man in the comics is the one looking for the person. I dunno who it is. I just know that Jim said that if they saw it, they would go lookin' for him."

"You think we could get his number? Jimmy's I mean."

"I don't see why not. I will call him when he is off work and tell him, just in case." He was still being honest. Sasha wondered why family love made people do stupid things.

"Just call the Org and say the number is for me, alright? They will get it to me ASAP."

Lord dropped his voice where he thought Sasha wouldn't hear.

"Is Nein going to harass him?"

Milla responded in the same soft low voice. "He and I are partners."

Sasha knew the man nodded as Milla left the kitchen . "Well, bye dear! Hope to hear about this soon!" she waved. Sasha simply said goodbye as they left the apartment, and as soon as they would leave the building and got into the car, Milla would speak first.

"We are on a nice hot path with this. I'll drop you off at home and head to work."

Sasha wouldn't ever tell Milla if something she did hurt his feelings, such as being called rude behind his back. She knew he knew she didn't mean it.

"Of course, I didn't think you would leave me to try teleportation."


	6. Access Accepted

December. Sasha laid on the mattress looking up at the ceiling of his small apartment. Snow had covered the windows and it was painfully cold. With a flick of his hand and a flex of a mental muscle, Sasha could have adjusted the thermostat, but he also knew that meant he might as well get out of bed, eat a bowl of oatmeal and head to work. Two weeks ago, he had started a fraud case and was still waiting for more information on James Levi.

He could hear the snow outside falling. The feather soft taps against his windows. Sasha hated this state of limbo he was in. His hands tied due to bureaucracy and time, little chunks of work being tossed to him like meat to a starving dog. He curled up moreso into the thick blankets, looking at the alarm clock on the side table, it was almost time to get up.

He wondered for a few moments if he should take a personal day off. But, then what could he do past that extra hour of sleep. It wasn't worth it. He needed to get up, go to work, and do something. He hated winter, he hated the cold. He hated how he had enough time to do a lot of small things but not enough to sink his teeth into anything deeper than reading a few journal articles and heading off. Camp at least offered him the freedom to work, to learn, to balance everything without the bus rides and paperwork and waiting for some sort of mission. He turned off his alarm clock and stepped out of bed and looked at his cellphone in hopes there was something on it. A text message from Milla- telling him to dress warm; a message from Che- reminding him that THEY WILL do something this weekend; a message from Morry- politically related which Sasha deleted considering it wasn't relevant to his interests and wasn't a US citizen; and Luka- telling him there is a link to a fic HE MUST READ. Which also ended up in the same place with Morry 160 character rant about the current administration.

Sasha lit a cigarette and went over to the coffee pot and started it. The neighbors above him rushing to get ready for school and careless about what could be heard downstairs. Inhale, exhale. Move to get dressed. The daily chores, by the time the coffee was ready and he was half-way dressed, Sasha heard his own cellphone ring. He picked it up and balanced it as he answered.

"Nein speaking." It was true, Sasha was never much one for manners, and more for cutting to the point. More so when it came to the time of day before his first cup of coffee, if he said he didn't believe in addictions he would be a liar, because he could easily think of two off the top of his head for himself and he didn't mean it in a joking way. But, if countered on it, he would most likely answer 'I have been smoking for more of my life than not, and I'm not dead yet' and quite honestly, when thinking about his life- his job was most likely to get him killed than lung cancer or the cornucopia of things that TV commercials and the ads on the bus warned about.

Truman Zanotto- the Grandhead of the Psychonauts- put into the position after Ford Cruller started to talk. "Sasha-" he started, Truman was nothing like his daughter. Lili was sharp in tongue and to the point, Truman on the other hand- was gentle. Sasha wondered if Lili took up this contrasting demeanor to counteract her father. "Lord Jonas' friend have given you permission to contact his friend." Well, this was good news. But Sasha could tell by the tone in Truman's voice that something else was coming up. "But, only if you contact him without Milla."

Now, this made Sasha raise a brow. Normally, when someone gave them permission to contact, he was the one who was excluded and Milla made to do the socializing.

"I see." Sasha said, as he took a sip from his coffee mug. "Any particular reason why?" There had to be a reason, and why was Truman telling him this? It was more of a personal mystery for Sasha than anything else. Could it be that Truman is thinking this is a good hobby for him while the Levi case is an ice block and his particular division had almost nothing to do? Hell, technically it would have fallen under another division of mailroom clerks if it was discovered by someone who wasn't bored.

Sasha could hear Truman eating a pop tart on his side of the line. Truman swallowed before speaking. "It seems, this Jim fellow is a fan." Sasha groaned. Really? _Really? _A fan? What was his life with fans as of late? Couldn't he have had just a normal mission with a running battle and a lot of paperwork? No, he got fans. Fans who would write disturbing fanfiction starring him and Luke would link him to it and ask the possibility of something like that happening. "So, when you come in, you can call him."

"I can now work on this from the HQ?" Sasha confirmed faceplaming. Lili was right, the Psychonauts were a joke now. He moved to pour some water into his bowl and dump the poweredry oats into it. That was sad. He shoved the bowl into the microwave and set it.

"Well, what was the last thing you did at work?" Truman questioned, not rudely, just…honestly. That was an easy answer.

"I helped Razputin sort mail." That's how slow it has been. Perhaps, all the madmen and children who were bending spoons or thinking their psychic abilities were poltergeists decided to take a break for the winter holidays. "Which I think is a productive thing to do, considering the boy has been sending the mail in a very inefficient manner." Razputin, while he became a Psychonaut at camp, did have to start from ground zero on the foodchain there. Sasha did, Milla did, Truman did, Ford did. It was the nature of the beast to learn it from the worse to the best jobs.

"Exactly. We're a small branch and I am trying to keep everyone busy. So, you might as well look into this while sorting the mail." The sound of another poptart opening up. The serving size was one pastry, Truman. Sasha knew because he hated how they would package them in things of two.

"I will call as soon as I am down there. Thank you." A pause. "So, what is Milla doing?" After all, she had to be doing something while he was working on this little homework assignment.

"She is going to be going to a few local schools and checking out for any potential candidates for Whispering Rock, we figure if we get them now, we can talk to the parents over break." Sasha nodded. "So, you get to talk to your adoring fans, and I will be trying to find more busy work for everyone."

"Of course, thank you very much. I will keep you updated."

"I know you will." And with that was the sound of the phone hanging up. At least Sasha knew how to say goodbye as the microwaved beeped and Sasha hurried over it to get his day started.

ACCESS ALLOWED

And with that, Sasha entered the Psychonauts HQ. One would think a group with jets stored at campgrounds, their building would be more impressive. It was actually quite boring, it was something that was set up back in the early 70s, and was in desperate need of repainting. It was colored in browns and off-yellows and smelled old. There was a mixture of psychics and nonpsychics. The best way to explain the nonpsychics was to think about the Men in Black, the best of the best, the ones who told to be all who they could be and heeded it.

And one of them was talking to a bouncing eleven year old with almost burgundy colored hair. Razputin Aquato, kidnapping specialist at the age of 10 at summer camp, youngest agent in the history of the organization, and filled with unlimited potential, the boy was currently in charge of maximizing his potential via delivering mail.

"Razputin." Sasha barked, people were used to this. "I thought you were supposed to be delivering mail." Once you were at work, you worked. Raz saluted the Agent, a large smile on his face, a part of him still had the hero worship of well, a child. Sasha would often have to remind himself that the boy was just that still. He would focus, and then go off as soon as the fun part of the work was done.

"Sasha- I mean Agent Nein." That bright smile that would made Milla coo endlessly over the boy. "I was talking to Agent Brake about my educational choices." Sasha felt himself mentally eyeroll. Sasha, while being smart- and everyone knew it, was also a drop out. Something that was common amongst young psychics. They would go into formal education and realize they really were not learning if they were telepathic because they couldn't tell their own thoughts from others, or they were just plain bored due to their brains naturally needing more stimulation somehow. Sasha was part of the former group, and when he ran away from home found it to be a good time to cut all ties to the school system until Ford discovered him and forced him to test for a GED, just in case the Psychonauts did not work out for him.

"Study on your own, get a GED later." Sasha said, he always saw a lot of him in Raz, and now a days, a GED was worth the same. "After all, most formal education systems tend to only want you to jump through hoops, including the Psychonauts. You meet a certain criteria and you pass- it doesn't matter if you use it or not because they want you to be a well rounded individual."

Sasha looked at Agent Brake, she reminded Sasha of someone from a movie he once saw. It was a teen romance type movie. It was the generic looking pretty female type character. She was frowning merely because she knew what Sasha said was right.

"Well, Agent Nein, it is good to help to teach one how to interact on a social level with their peers." She suggested. Sasha put his hands into his pockets and met her eyes with his own shaded ones.

"One can also learn that via real life experiences . The education system has been made a mockery of and one can learn a lot more by. They tell their students their word is law instead of remember what Thales said- telling the students to improve upon the teachings." She sighed at that.

"Go to school, Raz. Then improve on the teachers teachings." She suggested as Sasha sighed.

"You just get the mail delivered. I'm going to my office." And with that he headed to the elevator.

Sasha would never admit it to anyone but himself, but he liked his office. He had a nice office on the third floor where he could look out, but not worry about the fall if he needed to jump out the window. A few doors were open- such as Che's where one could hear some hip-hop blaring out, or Milla who never shut her door but kept everything inside the office locked up tight.

Sasha kept his door closed. His office was a small one with a lot of filing cabinets, a potted plant that was supposed to lighten up the place, a phrenology poster hung up for a joke amongst the psychics and his desk.

On his desk was his computer, and on his monitor was a sticky note with a number on it. Jim L. The man who wanted a friend in the comics to try and help find someone. Sasha plucked the note off the monitor and dialed the number.

One ring. Two rings. The sound of someone picking up.

"Hello Agent Nein." The man said. "I knew you would be calling. Its Jim." Sasha blinked, what an odd way to answer the phone. "Lord told me that you would be calling, and I was wondering when the bureaucracy would let you through. But no matter, I am just glad you could contact me."

The voice was smooth and cracking in points. Sasha coughed, "Yes, thank you for allowing me to contact you. As you might have heard from Lord, I am curious to who Mr. Ehsas is looking for." Sasha knew that Lord didn't want Sasha 'harassing' the other man. So he was going to make it short and sweet.

"Ceasar is looking for his other half." Sasha blinked? Romance? This man was using the comic book medium for romance? Sasha could hear Jim turn on a car. It was a cellphone number. "And I know what you're thinking. Romance. Naw. That's not it at all. You see, Ceasar is looking for the person with his energy." That sounded very schizophrenic.

"He says that he can tell where his energy was in every life except for one." Well, Sasha knew that, it was in the EU's files about the man. "And this is the life, he says he could be stronger in his next life if he knew where it was in this one. So he was going to make friends."

"That seems like a unique case." Sasha said writing down the information.

"I am only telling you this because Lord said that you and Agent Vodello would help find this person. I have been trying to make some noise to get them looking for him. Ceasar is a good guy, he deserves to have his energy nearby for the next life."

More like Ceasar should be told that there was nothing that could confirm that this theory would work in any way, shape or form.

"I mean, someone has to see him and go: I know this man somewhere. I have seen him. This is odd."

Luka. Could it be-?

"He did already say he knows what the person is like- if not only just like psychic hints. Even if it isn't true, it doesn't hurt to try right?"

So Jim was just trying and using his contacts, including Lord. Sasha nodded as he kept writing things. Sasha could hear the soft music from Jim's car radio.

"Ceasar said the person has light eyes and dark hair and will know him when they see him. They would just think something is odd. Because the entire chains of fate or something- two halves of a whole, red string. I don't know, I just am trying to get him settled."

Sasha nodded, could it really be Luka if this crazy theory was true, she did have those light blue eyes and pitch colored hair. But she didn't show any psychic potential which most of these people who believe they are 'connected by energy- would have.

"I personally think he is crazy. After all, if it is your energy, it should be with you and none of that past life bullcrap either. When people sneeze, I tell them nothing happens when you die." Sasha heard the radio playing. 91.5 BBN, just a male voice saying it for a brief second before moving on to the next song.

Sasha scribbled that down too. Jim laughed. "So, do you think you could help some, I don't know, take a poll or something of people who call in? I mean, I know the company gets letters about him, but I don't know if they are serious or just obsessive fans who look over every page for something more to cling on to." The man yawned. "What time is it for you, it's the ass crack of dawn here."

"8 am, I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time…" Sasha said, now trying to pinpoint the man's location.

"Nah, I'm on the road. Its good you called me, you're helping keep me awake. I got a delivery to make and I gotta head to New Mexico and I really want to make it there by nightfall." So, a state nearby, still dawn. Central timezone most likely.

"But, perhaps I can look into it and see if there are any reoccurring people who write letters." Not like he has anything better to do then lurch around fanboards and ask the publisher about people who send letters into them. He was sorting mail, and besides, he was sure he could bounce ideas off the mailroom folks and see what they say. Welcome New Agents, for your first mission, what do you think about this?

At least it kept his mind busy. "Thanks, so, If you find out anything, call me kay? Ceasar been through a lot and I wanna at least be honest when I say I am doing something. You do what you can, I'll make some noise. We got a plan."

What was his life? Sasha looked out the window at the people scurrying about from the bus stop to the coffee shop. All dressed in wools and dark colors.

"Yes we do. Good luck on your delivery Jim. And may I have your last name please?"

Jim didn't hesitate. "Laguna. You can look me up in the phone book, and don't worry. Lord will know you were nice. He told me you could be a bit brunt, but I figure you're just working and no hard feelings. Also- pleasure to meet you. Big fan."

"You do know that the comics-" Sasha started off, about to tell Jim Laguna the same thing he told Luka.

"Lord told me all about it. I am tits deep in this stuff, you don't have to cover it up with me. So, I'll call you if I find out anything. Got to go, I think I see a cop wanting to pull me over."

People had no sense of survival. And he was helping with the wreckless driving as he said his goodbyes to the man and hung up. 

A/N: Hello everyone! Its me, AmazinglyBad here. I am open for concrit or chatting or anything! Feel free to hit me up via PM, Review or on AIM at SugarBloodPotion


	7. A funny thing

Dark hair and light eyes and whomever may have noticed Ehsas in the comics. On one side of his office was a corkboard. It have proved helpful more times then he would like to count as he printed off a picture of Luka's driver's licenses and pinned it to the board. In the picture, she was trying to look serious- an expressionless neutral face and it fell short. He then e-mailed the True Psychic Tale publisher and asked for the information on who all wrote in letters.

The agency had asked for the company to do that, because if a child did have psychic abilities and confided in the magazine- they would like to find out. They also knew that they couldn't read over every letter that came in- even though it was only a few hundred a month. Sasha could still pull up information- find out who was writing about Ehsas, pull up records for looks, and hate that this was pretty much the most important thing he could do at the moment.

Look through letters and find people and see if any of them matched up with Laguna's description. He sighed and rested his head on his keyboard as Razputin rolled by on the mail cart, the boy skidding to a halt in front of Sasha's door.

"Agent Nein, Mail!" He was still surprised how happy Raz was to be sorting mail if it meant he was a Psychonaut. He knew he would have to work his way up, and he didn't care. Maybe this was another reason that the newbies were put down into the mailroom? That when there was just a dead time at the HQ, where there was peace on the psychic side of things- that they should remember to be excited to be working here for the Psychonauts?

"Thank you." Sasha said brushing some hair away from his face and taking the small stack of mail from Raz. "So, what have you been up to besides mail and thinking about your educational future?"

Raz balanced on the side of the mailroom cart as Sasha flipped through his mail. Mostly file requests from various other branches of the HQ. "Well, I did hear from Lili you're working on a case involving comic books."

And how did Lili find out about that? That meant either Milla was chatting and Lili overheard, or Lili was sneaking through her father's files again, looking for something interesting. And of course she would tell her boyfriend, and of course he would go straight to the source and question it about it.

"Why yes, I am. It is just an investigation to help find a missing person." Well, he was going to find out sooner or later anyways, because he was going to use the newbies as a bouncing board. He watched Raz's eyes light up.

"Is it a kidnapping? You know me, kidnapping specialist!" He said, biting at the reigns to do something besides figure out the quickest way to go through the mail each day. "Remember, I did help with Grandhead Zanotto."

Sasha nodded, "I do remember, I was there. Except, it doesn't look like a kidnapping case, and more along the lines of a paranoid psychic thinking that his energy isn't with him."

Raz blinked, "Uh, excuse me?" That made no sense to him. Why would it, he only just got all of his merit badges six months ago before going to help save Truman from a woman who thought she was Napoleon. Which Raz countered with he had already met Napoleon and he was nowhere in her mind. Although a part of him was hoping he found a relative of Fred and they could go off and go play Risk together and fight over Europe, Asia and Africa.

"Well, according to some theories, psychics work with their minds and with their energy- for passive and active abilities."

"Yeah, my Dad gave me his energy for a bit to help fight ButcherDad." Yes, Sasha read about that. And heard about it.

"Well, this man believes that he was born without the energy part of his psychic abilities. So, a friend is helping him look for the person with them."

"And do what once he finds them?" Raz said, narrowing his eyes a little, sounding as skeptical as Sasha was thinking.

"He said ensure in his next life he would be born with his energy." Saying it aloud made Sasha realize- "That sounds very Zodiac Killer-like; the Californian one not the New York one." Sasha tossed his mail onto the desk. "If anyone is going through this effort to meet up with someone again- I doubt it is just for coffee." He added that note to his spiral about it.

"I can help you! Come on Sasha, let me help. I need some on the job experience. I know where everyone's office is. Milla is doing the school-thing." Like a puppy. That was Raz. Sasha looked at the boy, on one hand-his job here was to sort mail. On the other hand- the other newbies were newer than Raz. Raz did need some more experience in the boring parts of the job too. The incident at camp and then the entire fiasco after that really did give Raz a glorified version of what they did. It was a fluke actually that there was two things like that in a row.

He missed the glory days. "Only on one condition will I ask Truman for permission to use you as my grunt labor." Sasha said as Raz suddenly smiled even wider.

"I get to give you a crash course in some needed skills."

Raz knew what a crash course with Sasha was like. It was where Sasha would make you suffer for a short period of time to become awesome in the same amount. Raz whooped at that, yes, yes, yes, he was going to learn something cool- like precognition or something.

"It is paperwork you're learning."

Raz let out a groan at that. "Paperwork? Sasha- really? What about precognition- oh- or how to control my telepathy?" he suggested. Sasha brushed it off easily.

"No, while the Psychonauts do need to use a variety of skills, you'll get specialized training when you get a sector to work with- it will go off your strengths and weaknesses, for example, there are some powerful technopaths here- and they were put into a branch to observe and work with just that- technology." Raz nodded.

"I bet you were almost going to end up in there- I always see you with some sort of super-computer-"

"No. In fact, I can't do any technopathic skills." Raz blinked at that- He…always imagined Sasha to be able to do anything. "I just never had a honing for it, just like Lili, she is can't do them either. But then again, her focus tends to be more for the biological side of things. But what I am saying is, if I taught you something now- it might not be for how the agency wants you to learn it. So, you will be learning a skill to help you across all the divisions."

"You just want a secretary." Raz frowned more so. Paperwork. That was stupid and an excuse to make it where he WON'T get to do anything fun. Like fight a psychic dinosaur from the year 2019 or something. If Raz could see Sasha's eyes, he would know Sasha just rolled his eyes to the point it hurt.

"No, I like doing my own paperwork. Except, it is good for agents to know how to do it, after all, once something goes into the system- you can access anything in your directory unless you have special clearance to ask around."

"Like you did with Agent Morales."

"Did he tell Lili?" Sasha questioned.

"No, but he tends to do your post mission checkups on the suspects so when I heard you cross-referenced some of your old files, I figured it was from him." Another pro of working in the mailroom- you figured out who was talking to whom with a paper trail. Him and Che, vertical partners so to speak instead of horizontal like him and Milla. "Or very small chances of it being from Agent Emmerich, but you only tend to share paperwork with her if Agent Watanabe is involved." Sasha blinked; Raz really did pay attention to the mail flow here didn't he?

"See, you're already learning the value of the paperwork. You can learn the working webs of people, for example, if I sent out a letter to Agent Dodson-"

"You wouldn't!" Raz jumped in, starting to get it. "Because he is like nowhere near your working circle. So if something was sent from you to him or visa versa on a business level, it would require an investigation."

"Very good." Sasha said, "Now, if Milla sent something to Agent Morales."

"That would be considered odd, but no red light because you and Agent Morales do work together and while it would be quicker to ask you, there is a chance it involved a case you were not involved in, but Milla was through Agent Sanders." Well, it was now obvious Raz was getting to see the value of the mailroom and paperwork now.

"And this is why it is frowned upon not to do follow up paperwork." Sasha said, confirming the information Raz had gained so far. It may have seen stupidly complicated, but it also helped keeping everything from having all your eggs in one basket.

"Like when you asked Agent Morales about the Jonas case, you asked him and the next day filed paperwork for it. Because if you didn't, he could have filed a report on you." Although, from what Raz knew of the pyrokinecktic, he wouldn't have. Che probably would have filed the paperwork for Sasha himself, figuring if Sasha forgot- it wasn't because he was trying to sneak about, but because he probably honestly forgot.

Sasha nodded as he picked up his mail once more and went through it. All of the formal requests he needed to get done.

"And because you found out about my case via gossip, what does that tell you."

"Someone broke protocol to tell Lili, or Lili did." While Lili wasn't an agent, she did have to follow the rules too. "Which meant if information about the case did get further than the ones you let know about it…"

"It would be a safety hazard. She could have overheard Milla telling Truman for example."

"Because he is above the paperwork web, due to him being involved with all cases somehow…But Agent Cruller-"

"Ford is fully off the record." Sasha said, dropping his voice to just above a whisper. If the Agency found out about Ford giving him and Milla things to do, all of them would be in the roaster. Truman suspected, but always chalked it up to Milla and Sasha's bad habits of falling into adventures. Besides, Truman still respected Ford more than the others above him. Raz nodded, "If anyone asks about him, just imagine anything else. Ford- when sane can still give ranks and badges. But rest of the time- no." Sasha was serious on this, but then again, Sasha was serious on a lot of things.

"But she shouldn't have told you. Next time, if she tries to tell you gossip about missions- nix it." That was the professional thing. "Only allowed to hear full details from Truman or the ones spearheading it."

Raz did think that was stupid, while yes he did at times thing the mailroom duty was one of the stupidest things he had to do, it just proved to have a reason behind it. But- why shouldn't everyone be allowed to know full details? This was a building full of mind readers and spoonbenders not something where people actually have things locked away from one another.

"So, you're going to learn how to do paperwork." Sasha said easily, unlocking a file and pulling out some papers. "Try to fill these out to the best of your ability." Sasha grabbed a pen and drew a large X on the page. Raz assumed it would be so Sasha could tell it was just a practice thing later on when he forgot as Sasha stepped out of his office and headed to the elevator.

Sasha was just going to talk to Truman face to face about this- and if he happened to see Lili to gently remind her that even if she over hears something- even though Raz is a Psychonaut now, she shouldn't spread it around. He knew Lili only told Raz, because he was her boyfriend and probably figured it would help get him moved up in the ranks quicker if he had another Whispering Rock incident. He couldn't blame her, she could be just as brash as Raz could.

He stepped out of the elevator and knocked on the cheap wood and fogged glass door.

"I'm in!" the man behind the door called out as Sasha entered. The office reminded Sasha of a principal's office. A few family photos and knick-knacks on the desk, binders and books on shelves around the room, with the occasional overly friendly looking mascot animal staring down at them and flipping through a binder near a counter was none other than Truman Zanotto.

Truman was obviously Lili's father, she had inherited all of his coloring, from the burgundy hair to the golden eyes. Lili had her mother's looks though, a perfect blending of the two- except for personality. The man was somewhat chunky and very jovial, he wore a suit and always some sort of flower motif. But, what would anyone expect from a man with a wife named 'Rose' and a daughter named 'Lili'? Today, his tie was covered with images of water lilies.

"Sasha." He smiled as he turned from his binder and sat down at his desk. "I know for once you're not here to deliver bad news or to yell at me." He chuckled, Truman was so easy going, Sasha wondered if that was just a trait of Grand Heads. "You never come up here just to visit. You always wait until I offer it out, you know, it will be terrible for your blood pressure…" he TK'd a silvery wrapped poptart over to himself. "Maybe you are because Milla isn't around and Che is busy with the assignment I gave him."

Sasha raised a brow as the man broke off a bit of crust from the poptart. Truman gave a large smile, "You're curious aren't you?" Of course Sasha was, how did Che get a real assignment and Sasha got to play detective. "His mission is-" Truman's voice dropped, it reminded him of how Lili would lure someone into one of insults. Sasha knew not to lean in, Truman tended to spout of something simple, Lili would give an insult.

Truman was waiting for Sasha to lean in, and when he saw Sasha wouldn't he leaned back. "I am having him do my secretary work while Felicia is out of town." Truman was disappointed, he had known Sasha since he came over to America 10 years ago and even helped train him, and he could count the times when he seen Sasha be human on one hand. And he heard Raz seen it happen even more. It made Truman feel like just a boss to Sasha, a common complaint when it came to the German. Che, Milla used to, Oleander used to and sometimes still does, and other agents. They wanted to see what was underneath the suits and shades with him. But then again, Sasha was one of the few introverts at the HQ.

"So, what can I do for you?" Truman asked as he picked apart his pastry a little more, eating the bit of crust with frosting on it first .

"I want Razputin to help me with my assignment."

This made Truman blink, "And why so?" he knew Sasha would have a solid reason. He and Milla always did. But, he knew that if he didn't drill them the same way, the other agents might say favoritism is happening, not that the two had a track record that was going to put them both on Cruller's rank one day, the supernovas of their psychic generation.

"He already fully understands the reasoning why we had him work the mail system, and has shown he is starting to understand the reasons why we do things in certain orders, I feel like to help him develop more, we should start moving him onto simple missions, doing the paperwork end and going over cases under a mentor."

"And you want to be it." Truman responded.

Of course Sasha wanted to be it, Razputin was excellent, he had limitless potential if one kept him on his path. Now that Oleander's influence on the mental realm was gone, along with Raz sorting out his own issues with his family, the boy just needed to work on that phobia- and he would break the limit. It excited Sasha. "I don't see why not, I do know how to get him to push the limits."

"Which involved your super-ego almost kicking you out of your own mind."

"How did you find that out?" Sasha narrowed his eyes behind his shades, Truman looked innocent as he looked at his nails.

"You do know your protégé is dating my daughter right? I figured I should tell you that." The man behind the desk said, "They have been dating since summer."

Sasha frowned a little at the snark, making a note to tell Raz what when he says 'We will never speak of this again' he meant 'We, meaning you and/or I, will never have mentions of this incident pass our lips in any way, shape or form.'

"But, if you really want the responsibility, have at it." Truman said, he knew what he was doing, Ford joked about it when he took on Sasha. A family tree of top psychics. Raz was the newest golden boy, taken on by Sasha, the golden boy of his generation, trained by Ford- whose name alone meant 'Greatest Psychonaut', who was trained by Boole, and the list just went on. Sasha nodded.

"Thank you Truman." The man said as he turned out of the office so he can head to his to get the official paperwork filled out.

When he made it back Raz was sitting in his chair. "Get out of my chair." Sasha commanded, as Raz slid out of it. You just don't sit in a man's chair behind his desk. He was sure Raz would understand that once he got his own. "Truman gave permission, and your handwriting is terrible."

Raz made a whoop noise before looking at Sasha. "Heeeey."

"Make your letters legible. You don't want people misreading it, if you got to, just print everything slowly."

And the rest of the day went on like that, with Raz getting an unofficial promotion to paperwork jockey and Sasha having to get his office ready to be invaded by the boy on a daily bases. Mostly by clearing off some counter space so Raz could have a flat surface that wasn't his desk to write on. But, at least it was a sign of progress in something. Raz's growth as a Psychonaut, and maybe the boy would get directed to the best path for him.

That night, Sasha's phone was ringing loudly, wildly, it was the ringtone that Sasha would use for the HQ when it came from Truman's personal line. Sasha picked it up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Nein Speaking."

"Levi struck again," Truman had a dark tone to his voice. "at a concert in Amarillo, in the Civic City Auditorium. This time, he wasn't being tactful."

Sasha was already getting dressed. "What do you mean?"

"He actually killed people this time." Sasha felt sick, "There were only a handful of survivors."

"I'll be getting the jet." Sasha said, he was going to go to Texas and question each one of them. "Is there a list?"

"Yeah, want to hear the funny thing?" Funny thing? About people being killed? Oh please, Truman, tell Sasha the punch line. "All the survivors were in our database as potential Whispering Rock candidates at one time."


	8. Intertwined

If there was one thing that would stay in Sasha's mind for all of his missions, it would be the quite destruction after anything big. Destruction of the mind in some cases and in others, like this, destruction on the physical realm. For Psychics, both were equally potent. Sasha understood why some psychics would just give up on the physical when they could no longer control it and instead run into the recesses of their minds, sometimes when looking at scenes like this, it would pull up old memories from previous missions. One thing would tie into another, which would go into a tangled web of thoughts while another part of him worked on the mission at hand. The concert was meant for families, things for all age groups, a program drew Sasha's eye to a purse, which drew his eye to some spilled Teddy Grahams. Debriefing would do him good this time around. This was his mission, and he did wish that Levi would do something.

And he did it. Sasha ghosted his hand over a seat, his gloves off, picking up those last moments of energy seeping from the chair- the deep psychic imprints stuck to the material as energy made people just snap and go after each other, like a pack of rabid dogs. It made a part of him sick, and the other part of him more apathetic. It was a sick combination and he knew it. He felt his feet lead him down the aisle, stepping over bits of cloth and blood. Spilled popcorn and soda, chips broken and papers torn. Sasha could hear the sparks of broken lamps trying to send power to the lightbulbs. He carefully moved up the steps and onto the stage as he looked out, trying to sense the last moments. He was never good at retrocognition, but his other skills helped supplement where he lacked. Empathy- he could remember the feeling in the air, a pride, power, wanting to make some noise. He could see the world grayed out with a few faces standing out in Technicolor. The candidates for Whispering Rock. The girl with the empty brown eyes and blue skin, the boy with a shock of red hair, the woman who looked around nervously.

Sasha was feeling the scene slowly being recreated in his mind. Sasha didn't notice as his hands drifted to the microphone, the flash of an audience, and looking over and focusing too much energy on a folder. Looking back at the audience, telling them that this was going to be a big show for a very special audience. The people cheering because they thought it was them, they weren't the audience, they were going to be the stars. Sasha felt the mind want to look at that folder again. That folder.

_'Sasha!'_ Milla. Her voice in the crowd, Sasha didn't even recognize the name as his own. He just watched as people in the back of his mind slowly started to scream and attack and lash out and defend themselves. '_Sasha! Darling!' _Milla again. Her voice didn't match up to the scene, it was jarring, two lives at once as he suddenly watched everything fade from his mind. The microphone ripped away from his fingers all too easily, bright green eyes filled with worry, while the voice that belonged to the eyes was filled with frustration.

"Sasha! What in- Why were you touching the mic?" Milla. Sasha blinked as he noticed it now, his hands still in the position one would have them in when they were speaking to a crowd, hand-held mic in hand. Sasha knew he wasn't supposed to touch anything directly when working on cases like this- his gloves protected him where he could touch without tampering with evidence, without gloves he could pick up sensations and hints, touching without gloves could do various things to different people. Being telepathic to the level he was meant he was more likely to get pulled into the passive side of the scene. Milla had her gloves on, but her abilities tended to default to more active than his own. So she ran a higher risk of blowing something up. An odd contrast considering that people would have expected the opposite for them. Milla's sensitive nature versus Sasha's less-than sensitive one. Sasha turned his head to where the folder was in his memory, and sure enough there it was, sitting on the amp, a bottle of water next to it.

"I don't know." Sasha admitted, voice soft, as he pulled his leather gloves from his pockets and pulled them on. "I let my feet lead me, this is good." He said looking at it from a viewpoint of just information gathering as he walked over to the amp and got the folder and opened it. Reading the contents, "For one, people over looked this thinking it was just a set list or the rider for the musicians performing. When in fact, it isn't."

Milla blinked, "It isn't? Then what is it?" she crossed her arms over her chest, her outfit more muted to make it where people would want to talk to her about what happened instead of thinking she was just some sort of tagalong. One changes how they dress when they are out working after all. They dress up, like how Stephen Fry said one would dress up their language.

"It's a letter to us. As in you and I, instead of the agency in a whole. Levi knows we're tracking him." Milla frowned as she went over to Sasha to read over his shoulder. Type up in simple Arial font size 12, was a letter addressed to them:

Dearest Sasha and Milla,

Did you two miss me? I know I missed the two of you, it seems the three of us are stuck in a waltz and no one is trying to lead. But then again, the three of us know that the power lies with me right now. I knew the case was getting cold, because I suspect the two of you were starting to move onto other things.

I saw Milla at that school, in her teacher outfit, looking for the children who knew answers before questions , or the little spoonbenders moving items around. I saw Sasha talking to that girl about comics. Obviously, I have not been the best of dates with the two of you. So, here is my apology and I will keep on making some noise for your attention.

I kept some people alive this time, I choose people you all knew so it would be easier to talk to them. Besides, they have things to contribute in the future, everyone else did their jobs.

Love,  
James

PS: I hope you two make the next step for me.

Sasha shivered a little that was a little creepy for his tastes, Levi admitting to stalking the two of them. It was unsettling, but Sasha had to remind himself this was no different than prisoners at the Saint Jude Mental Rehabilitation Home- the prison where they send those who had caused terror and were honestly to God mentally ill. The ones the Psychonauts just couldn't go in and fix . Sasha had more than once walked into that prison only to hear things that showed that somehow- the prisoners were following him. Shouting about a comic, trying to grab at him or Milla from the bars, saying they were criminals and once they were behind the bars-

It was something Sasha just simply had to accept as one of the cons of his job. He flipped the letter to the next page, photographs of them. Sasha knew that this was to instill paranoia in them. But honestly, Sasha was going to have none of that. He shut the folder.

"Milla, did you talk to the survivors?" he asked as he tucked the folder under his arm. Milla tossed some hair over her shoulder.

"Yes, we finally got a description of Levi besides his clothing." Finally, something else. Not a blurry picture where they could just get basic coloration at best. Milla held up the police drawing. Sasha pulled down his shades and looked at the image. Buzzed hair, strong build, rounded eyes the color of mud. It was someone, that if Sasha had no psychic abilities would try his damnest to avoid if he was walking down the street. Why would anyone get a tattoo on their neck?

"Well, it does fit up with the few images we have of him." Sasha said, taking the picture. "Lets go back to base and sort through everything." Milla nodded as they left the scene for the evening, so they could get some rest before noon came and they had to get back to work.

Raz was asleep when they made it back to the hotel room, of course he was asleep. He was still a child and they woke him up so he could do the newest part of his job. His Aunt (mother's side) was not quite the happiest person in the world when Raz woke up and had to wait for a ride to the HQ. But, what calmed her down was knowing that one of her nephews was going to have a nice stable job when he got older and wasn't going to traipse about the world in a caravan like her Sister decided to do when she ran away to join the Circus.

So, a victory for the child's future in her mind. And Sasha and Milla both knew it from the number of times she lectured Sasha for trying to force Raz to get over his fear, because it was hurting no one. Raz turned over in his sleep, mumbling something about the best type of skirt-steak.

Sasha took off his shoes and laid down on the couch. He wasn't going to pull out the fold-away and possibly wake up the boy as Milla just smiled a little.

"You know, darling. You can just share a bed with me." She whispered into his ear as he turned to face her a little more. The look on his face explained that no, he couldn't. Especially considering he hadn't showered and he didn't want the boy to get the wrong idea. She frowned, a frown never fit her face, but Sasha would never ceased to be amazed at how often one would settle on there.

"I want you to be able to get some rest." She said sitting at the foot of the couch, "Its obvious you're tired." Especially with him actually deciding to touch something while out on the field with no gloves on.

"I will get some rest. I have slept on worse things than a couch before." He draped his arm over his eyes to block out, well, everything. Milla took the hint as she tk'd a blanket from her bed and rested it on him, letting him be able to get some sleep.

Although Sasha had slept on worse things besides a couch, it was mostly when he was a teenager or he could easily move to another spot to get something better. Sasha yawned as he looked at himself in the mirror, the bathroom window was open as Sasha draped his hand outside of it to let his cigarette smoke float away. Raz, on the other hand, was bouncing around excitedly, mostly around Milla. He had to chuckle a little to himself as he watched Milla try and pull things out of the McBurger Queen bag for the three of them.

"Really Sasha, you couldn't pick a hotel with better places near by?" she frowned as she pulled out an egg sandwich and he put out his cigarette and flicked it out he window.

"I didn't have time to check everything out besides 'We need a place to shower and sleep." He responded reaching into the bag pulling out what he knew was his and moving over to the couch to pull out his laptop from his case. He trusted the fast food joints a bit better than other places, they have a high rotation rate for food and it's the same everywhere. So, if he got pancakes and sausage from McBurger Queen in New York, it would taste the same in California.

"Hey. Why does Sasha get pancakes and I get oatmeal." Raz questioned, he was on the road, he should get the greasy fast food also.

"Because darling, you're still growing and Sasha doesn't care about his health. "

"And I need to gain some weight." Sasha added in. "Last time I had my yearly physical exam, the only let me pass because I could do situps from dawn until dusk if they asked me to." And he was a bit of a favorite. So what if Milla could out do him physical examination wise easily?

Sasha was filling in report details as Raz sulked over his bowl of fast-food oatmeal with freeze-dried currants. Milla sat down next to him looking over his shoulder. She whispered to him, knowing that was a bit safer than telepathy around Raz.

"You need to add in your report that you touched the mic."

Sasha shook his head. "No, I don't. It was purely accidental and has had zero affect on me."

"Besides spacing out for a few minutes."

"I will add it in later, right now we should cover the important things. Like cross referencing Levi's tattoos to any gangs."

Milla knew that was true as she picked up a bit of egg from the napkin on her lap as Sasha pulled up the image gallery of known gang tattoos.

"Because it seems familiar."

Raz heard that.

"What seems familiar." He said forgetting the oatmeal and bounding over to the couch on Sasha's other side to look at Levi. "Eeeugh, what prison documentary did he fall out of?"

"This is our suspect." Sasha said as Raz stared at the man for a few moments then looked at Sasha. "Hey- I know that symbol!"

Sasha blinked, what sort of underground Psychic gangs has Raz dealt with to know that symbol.

"Yeah, I saw it in my comics!"

Those comics just can't ever leave Sasha alone, can they?

"Well then, Raz, please enlighten me."

"The Veil!"

…Sasha was silent as he pulled up the images for The Veil as he swore softly. Sure enough, that tattoo matched one of the branches of The Veil's membership. The group that worked closest to Sir Jonas, Leader of the group. Brother of Lord Jonas, who sold his family name to put an image of a comic for Jim Laguna who is looking for someone for a friend.

Sasha shut the laptop, grabbed his Styrofoam plate of pancakes and walked to the bathroom so he could wonder who he pissed off in a past life to intertwine everything like this.


	9. Ideas

When it comes to isolation versus being social, Sasha would always go for the former. It allowed him to think, to lose his composure for a few long moments and just drop all masks to no one but himself. It was why in a normally cramped hotel room, Sasha was sitting on the bathtub rim with a plate of pancakes next to him and letting it go cold. Milla knew Sasha did things like this so she was letting him do his own thing, the first time he did tht she was worried but now she saw it like how he saw her calling one of her girlfriends to talk about hair or shoes or Edward Cullen's right fingernail or whatever people talked about on the phone. It was just something that happened. Meanwhile, Raz was concerned with how Sasha just left without saying a word and was wondering if he should go knock on the door, after all, he could never just imagine Sasha storming out of a room.

Sasha grabbed a bit of sausage from the plate and chewed on it, just letting the artificial flavoring seep in as he stared across the small room at the wall with a few little towels hanging on it and a few tiny soaps wrapped up in paper on a shiny metal IKEA shelf. Levi was part of the Veil at one point, and he worked close with the leader of it. If he were a man to take his frustration outwards he would have shouted and dramatically punched the wall. But Sasha Nein wasn't that kind of man. He was the kind of man to bite back on his anger, to let it bundle up in his stomach and make ulcers and some bile for him to throw up later. How he could feel those negative emotions bubble up and pop and it would somehow feel like a sickening oil stain on his soul that is until he finally found something to go shoot at or just destroy.

It was a sort of masochism according to Milla; how he would do this to himself. Like it was his own personal punishment for having feelings when that wasn't the case. That wasn't the case at all. It was how he treasured those feelings, those feelings he knew were his and his alone. For telepaths and those who practice clairvoyance, getting to feel your own emotions above other's felt overly personal, something they could cherish. Others got to feel their own emotions at any given moment. People who would feel other's seep in, knowing and feeling their own take control was something to be cherished. Their emotions for once, got to overpower. Be allowed on the forefront, the loudest singer in the chorus.

He was still chewing the meat, even though it had somehow disintegrated into almost nothingness. The pancakes were cold, the syrup congealed and he knew he wouldn't want to throw it away, he didn't want to waste the food as he resealed the box. Levi said the next move was theirs, fine. Sasha let his mind race as he thought of a plan. He knew he needed to send out a signal and he imagined how he could do it. He flexed his fingers, remembering the heavy feel of the microphone in his hands how in touch he felt to the scene of the crime, those dreams where he knew he was thinking too much about the other. Sasha looked down at his currently ungloved hands, pale green, nails neatly trimmed, scarred and calloused from years of working and missions. He reached his hands out in front of him, feeling his own psychic hands wanting to reach out also, to want to stretch out as far as they could like he was doing right now.

The letter, the memories, the survivors. It was how Levi was trying to contact him. Sasha needed to do a calculated risk. He stood up and stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to the little black mini-fridge next to Raz's uneaten oatmeal. Milla peered up from the files and her tablet, a thin brow raised at him, the look on her face easily read as 'Well, done sulking, Mr. Nein?' Raz also stood up; the boy was unsure how to react, should he be careful? Ready to jump on a mission? Be friendly? Offer to go get some soda? The correct answer would be act normal because this is something normal for Sasha at least.

"Milla, I want you to take Raz to go interview the survivors." He began, "It is a vital skillset that we both know you do better than I." And Sasha knew while he could see a lot of himself in Raz there was also parts that shined out as pure Milla. Which for everyone who saw the group would know it were for the social skills.

"And what will you be doing, darling?"

Sasha brushed back the hair from his eyes . "I am going to investigate the scene; I have a theory which I want to check in comparison to my notes." Milla nodded, so did Raz, who obviously was excited- the spark of the first 'official' interview to the boy was obvious. He wanted this, he craved this. Raz was finally going to get to put on the non-stripey pajama suit and be a person who people will treat like a specialist instead of a child. An agent instead of a character. Milla didn't like the idea of Sasha investigating the scene by himself but she also knew he was a big boy and it wasn't like anything would happen right now. Levi wanted them to play a game.

Sasha ran his hand through his hair as he grabbed his wallet. "I'll meet up with you, if I don't call me by five." And before anyone could say anytning else, Sasha was out the door.

The scene was still a wreck, debris, the stench of garbage coming up and forth. Sasha was an odd sight in this scene, a bit of calm amidst the chaos. A thin man standing tall, neat and clean in a place that just screamed filth. He peeled off his gloves in silence, police standing outside in hopes that the one who caused all the trouble would come back to the scene of the crime.

Sasha rested his hands on the microphone flicking it to the 'on' position even though there was no power coming to it, but instead of trying to receive- he was going to send, and whispered into the dead device.

"Heres my next move, Mr. Levi."

He could feel something tighten and loosen in his mind somewhere on the psychic plane. The Collective Unconscious. He made contact somewhere. It was an odd sickly feeling, wondering if the other had tried to do something similar. To reach out to him and Milla, touching something they did and call out. Why was he even doing this, why did he want their attention? Was it merely because they took down the Veil?

It made him think of tightening string between two cups and plucking it. He also wondered if Milla could feel it. If Raz could. If any other the other psychics he had worked so closely with could tell he was attempting to play with the connections between all of them for this one experiment- inviting Levi to him. To make his move now. Be a good date, now.

Sasha felt his legs wanting to move as he carefully stepped back. Science had proved one must listen to their gut. His gut said to move. His gut said get out of there and now, but not because of danger like one would expect their lizard brain to be shouting at them. But the instinct that one should go out because they will miss something important.

It was a surge of feelings coming up from where he store the bile and anger and those emotions he treasured so much. He felt his cellphone ring.

Laguna.

He wanted to pick up the phone and drill him, ask him how he knew Levi- not thinking that for a moment that perhaps and most likely he didn't know the man causing the trouble for him. They both wanted different things, to make their marks in different ways. He moved out of the scene and into the street as he picked up the phone.

"Hey Nein." The main said lazily. "Still in Texas, first the cop, then my tire blew then somehow my fucking radiator exploded or something. I just drive cars, I don't fix them." He laughed. "But hey, any leads?"

Really, this was neither the time nor the place for these types of conversation.

"Something came up." Sasha frowned as he lit his cigarette and exhaled. A car drove by. "So, your request is temporarily on the backburner."

"That sucks, did you hear what happened in Amarillo?" the man said, Sasha was now guessing the man just needed someone to talk to. "Of course you did, you're one of the men in black. The Government Workers. One of the G-Men."

Words alone could never express how much Sasha hated that term. The G-Men, it sounded like some sort of hip-hop band from the early 90s with bright baggy pants on. He frowned, as he wondered if Levi got his signal as the other man rambled on about some conspiracy theory. He and Luka would get along like two insane peas in a looking too deep into the issue pod.

"But, anyways, I am in town now, so I was freaking out when it happened." Wait- Laguna was in town. That's it, he wanted to go back to his bathroom sulky area. Did he want to owe up to it, or did he want to go meet the other man face to face. He paused to think for this for a moment. Truman did give him permission to work on the mission- and maybe if he did it once he was done with what he could for this one…

"How long will you be in Amarillo?" Sasha asked.

"Probably a few days, I was running ahead with my cargo, so its all good. I can take a break- I called the person getting it and it turned out they will be out of T or C for a few days so they consider it lucky incase something is wrong with their shipment."

Sasha nodded, "I will like to meet up with you soon."

"So we can chat about work?"

Sasha nodded, and then realized someone over the phone could not see that and he was stupid for not thinking that out all the way. "Well, we can talk about your particular case. How does tonight at McBurgerQueen sound?" One could never go wrong at chain restaurants with their pre-frozen shipped from a centralized food source.

"That would be great, the one near the center?"

Why the hell not, not like everything else in his life wanted to mix up. "That would be best, see you in three hours."

"That would be golden. See you then."

And with that the man hung up, and Sasha texted Milla about what just happened as he went back inside. Seeing if he could pick anything up. And sure enough, he did. Right on the microphone was a ribbon with some paper.

Sasha moved up to it to look at the note.

Dearest Sasha;

Now you're starting to see how we can play. I know you're not a fan of hide and seek, but what can I say? This is letting you stretch your muscles a little, I know you have been craving a good mystery, so I am only trying to provide.

Tomorrow will be the next move. Don't worry- it is being aimed at you and no one else. The boy and Milla will be watching the show this time. You'll be the star.

Love and Hugs.

Sasha ripped off the paper, was Levi in here now and just overly talented with hiding- and he couldn't sense it? Right under his nose. He had an idea- tomorrow it will happen, and to him. His phone vibrated as he got a text from Milla telling him to pick up something for dinner for her and Raz and something healthy, and that when he got back to the hotel room, they had some news.

Well, so did he.


	10. The plan in action

With the note folded neatly in his pocket, and some salads from the local big-box store in some bags for Raz and Milla, Sasha entered the hotel room. He had two hours before he was supposed to meet Laguna. He set the bags on the small table right before Milla grabbed the one she knew was for Raz and handed it to him. "Hurry up and eat darling." She said to the boy as Sasha raised a brow as she grabbed her own salad and moved over to the couch to eat.

"Levi told the survivors that tomorrow was going to be big." She said as she popped off the plastic lid so she could start cramming food down her throat in a way that was, quite honestly, a bit gross. But Sasha wasn't going to say anything; he could tell she was in a rush. Well, at least they both were on the same page. "The reason why they hadn't told anyone else was because they said one of us was going to be the target."

Well, it was good to know he would follow through on what he said he would. "So, I am getting Raz out of here ASAP." Raz was scowling into his salad a little at that, he hated being treated like a little boy in the eyes of the other agents, and while Sasha would sympathize, knowing what it was like being a child in an adult's world once he proved himself; Sasha would agree with Milla this time on this issue if only because of the note. If Levi followed through, that meant there would be a running battle tomorrow and Raz was currently not equipped well enough for something like that at the moment. Also, because this was his and Milla's case, and if it suddenly went sour like it looked like it would, he wanted the boy out of the way. Raz was only in training right now; it would be too much of a bite at the moment.

Sasha crossed his arms as Milla kept on about everyone she had contacted, "So, I contacted any agents within a 100 mile radius to meet up here so we can work together."

The only place agents wouldn't come from would be from Jude's about 50 miles away. He hated how it was so close yet at the same time in the middle of nowhere. He wondered why they would do something like that; perhaps it was a simple out of sight out of mind for the general populace. The name made people think it would have arts and crafts instead of psychic guards equipped with medication to dull a psychic's powers and guns, ready to shoot if the prisoners even walked wrong.

Sasha removed the letter from his pocket and slid it over to her, Levi's little note confirming the trouble he is planning on brewing tomorrow- and was looking for an excuse to execute it. Milla rested her fork on the bowl and opened it up, reading it. Bright green eyes darting over the page before simply putting the bowl to the side, Sasha spoke up.

"I think he is after you." Sasha said after a few moments. "Simply because, why would Levi spell it out like that."

"It could quite possible be because he is a creeper." Milla said, tone serious despite the language used, folding the note back up. "Perhaps you should stay in tonight, we just go to the meeting and you call Mr. Jim and cancel the meal at McBurgerQueen." Sasha shook his head.

"Levi said tomorrow, he is already watching us so no matter what we do, he will pounce. I will be in a public place during a busy time and you know where I am." Milla narrowed her eyes a little. She didn't like this one bit as Raz stood up.

"How about this, Milla-" Raz started, "I can go with Sasha to McBurgerQueen." Sasha already saw the argument about to happen, Milla will be firm, Raz will be biting at the reigns and Milla would win. Sasha decided it would be best to stop it all now.

"No Raz." Sasha said, "I want you to meet up with Agent Morales with the note." He was going to make a copy of it now. "And I want to make sure it stays in the bag until he is done with it. I am going to have you working with him on tracking Levi down, because this is something he wrote." So a strong psychic would be able to track Levi with it. "So, keep it on your person at all times. DO NOT remove it from the baggy." Sasha stressed as he went to his suitcase and pulled out a small device, it was a scanner for travel. Something he got for Christmas last year from his aunt who wanted him to take pictures, scan them and email them to her. He plugged it into his laptop and quickly scanned it as the boy downed his salad and watched as Sasha put it into a bag and handed it over.

"Listen to Milla; don't let it or your bags out of your sight. I will also be giving you my bags." His bags was mostly just clothes, so if anything happened-well he was out of clothes he didn't care if they got destroyed, like those stupid pinstriped Psychonauts uniforms. His technology would stay in the hotel lock box until he or Milla would get it.

Milla raised a brow at that one, "Any particular reason why?" she asked. Sasha nodded.

"To help distract anyone who might be watching. They would see the bag and assume I am nearby…"

"You're making him a target." Raz smiled at that, action! Raz's imagination was already running wild at the set up, some goons lurking in the shadows, seeing Sasha's bags imagining the agent nearby- and behold! Raz. They would go after Raz and Raz would defeat him and it would become his first big mission standalone and it would get published in the comics.

Sasha on the other hand, wasn't thinking about the comics. Sasha knew Levi would be looking for the person and not the bag, but it would keep some goons watching Raz but not likely to attack due to the location and that means less trouble for everyone later. Sasha shrugged a little, even though he could feel Milla burning a hole into his shoulder. He knew she knew what he was thinking, but he was going to spell it out anyways.

"Two goons following Raz mean two less goons on us tomorrow." Sasha stated, every little bit help, and Raz was an agent-although barely just out of the mailroom. He knew Raz could take on some low-ranking baddies on his own if push came to shove. He looked down at his watch.

"I should go now. Milla, I will see you at 6." The Brazilian woman just frowned at the entire idea as Sasha stood up leaving the two in the hotel room. He knew Milla would keep some of his items with her though, because it would be her own little form of rebellion against the idea of using Raz as a target, and it would make sure she could keep an eye on him when he was out of her sight.

-  
Sasha would take the bus down to the McBurgerQueen, if only to make sure there were a lot of witnesses to his actions. He was trying to be obvious, let Levi watch him. Let the bus driver see him, let the woman sitting next to him be squished a little as he tried to sprawl out. Sometimes, the best way to protect yourself was to make sure everything saw you. If something happened there would be a witness saying they saw him on the 5:21 32 bus. He looked over at the woman and asked if she lived in town and what she would suggest to do while he was here and that he was here on business. Some people would think it is counterproductive to do when someone is after you, but at times like this, you would be safest in a crowd. In a bus with people standing, children trying to scoot around the standing people so they could look out windows, next to girls listening to their iwhatevers and boys talking about their pokermans or whatever they talked about now a days. He saw the McDonalds coming up and going past them, and there he also saw the cab of a flatbed truck with a gaudy cross painted on the hood.

He remembered the radio station Laguna was listening to over the phone- a Christian rock channel. That must have been him. The bus stopped, the doors slid open and Sasha started to walk to the restaurant, bumping into people like he didn't know how to move through a crowd before making it in. The restaurant was busy, and there was a tall man with a large nose and a scraggly beard. He waved when he saw Sasha and came up. "Sasha?" he asked as the German nodded, the man gave Sasha a large grin- he was missing some teeth. He looked like someone the Jonas' brothers would have known. He smelled like cough syrup and cigar smoke- the same kind of cigars Che smoked.

"I already got my order." Laguna said gesturing over to a table with a half-eaten sandwich and fries scattered across the paper lined tray (with the caloric counts shown for those who cared to see how much they were consuming right next to a picture of some blonde girl with pigtails sharing apple slices with a boy of some eggplant color.) "Sorry 'bout that, I had to get something in me. My truck is fixed so I didn't want to stop to dump my load later on if you catch my drift."

Sasha's mental response to that was a simple 'ew'. Well, there went his desire to eat something. But it would seem rude if he didn't. "Milla told me I should eat healthier, I'll get a salad." He said, even though he knew those salads were worse for you than the hamburger itself. But Sasha's now was going to relate a hamburger to 'load dumping' for the next day, and besides, the salads here were pre-packed, thus unattainable.

"A chicken Caesar salad and an ice latte." Sasha told the ginger girl at the cash registered.

"You're going to be up all night now." Laguna said and Sasha shrugged as he turned to face the man.

"Well, I have a lot of work to do tonight, so might as well start it off with over-priced cheap coffee." The woman behind the counter coughed a little at that-she knew that McBurgerQueen made a huge profit on something like the coffee here. Another teenager brought Sasha up his tray with the drink, the dressing and salad on it. The salad still even had its little sticker seals on it as the German walked over to the table with the truck driver.

"Nice to see you face to face man." Jim said as he crammed some fries into ketchup and then promptly crammed them into his almost toothless mouth. Sasha carefully opened the plastic box the salad was in and carefully opened up the dressing packet and squeezed it onto the salad- somehow still managing to get some on his gloves. He took a bite of the lettuce, not needing to pick it apart unlike with the nicer places where he did. "So, you want to know more about my buddy's idea, about his other half?"

Sasha nodded, before swallowing. "You probably understand I am a bit skeptical about the entire idea of it all." Laguna nodded.

"Yeah yeah, I know. I know I would be too. Although, wanna hear a thought. I kinda don't want to find Caesar's other half." Sasha raised a thin brow at that one. If he didn't why was he looking for them? Then as if he could read minds Laguna continued. "It's that wouldn't it be creepy man. Someone coming up to you and going: Hey you're this man's other half and he wants to be buddy-buddy with you until one of you dies so two can become one- set your spirit free only way to be type." He took a sip of his soda as Sasha went to take a drink of his coffee.

"Well, then why are you looking?"

"Because man, if I am looking and find them- I can at least find out if it is true or not. Besides, what's the harm? If I find them and they are open to that stuff, good, I can host some sort of reunite TV special, if they ain't? I can keep them like sea and sky. Separate. Both can know about the other, but I'll tell Caesar that the other can't meet up for whatever reason."

Something about that made Sasha's stomach tense up a little, was Caesar someone who would stalk someone if he knew about this special other half thing? Was Laguna telling the truth? Something inside of Sasha was having his mental bells set off, and he knew to trust those bells. He pushed a lettuce leaf into more dressing and brought it to his mouth, chewing carefully as he wondered about his next thing he should say.

"Do you think Caesar would be a threat to this person?" Sasha Nein, master of tact. Laguna shook his head.

"Nah, it's that you know how people can get when they get an idea in his mind. At most, he might demand they meet and throw a temper fit with me, but if I know where they are at and keep in contact, I could try and warm then up to the idea, right? No harm in it." Sasha knew he should have actually ate something today, the caffeine was making him shake a little already, but he kept it under control where he could feel his heart beat quickly but Laguna couldn't tell about it. Maybe he should really talk to a doctor about better meals for his health like Milla wanted him to. Tomorrow he would start taking multi-vitamins or something. Have less coffee as a staple of his diet and more onion dip like Milla would or something. He ate a piece of the chicken and quickly finished the coffee so he could have an excuse to get a cup of water.

"Well, I am sure if it is important to Caesar, he would wait until the person was comfortable and was more open to the idea. Although from some studies I read about, many Americans believe in things like that." He stood up to go get a plastic cup of water, making sure to take the rest of his salad with him. The girl at the counter asked if he would like more dressing and he accepted as she brought him some more and his water. Maybe some more fats would make him feel a bit better as he sipped his water as he sat back down and added more dressing on. This time not caring as much when more dressing got on his gloves.

Laguna nodded as Sasha started to finish off his salad. "Yeah yeah, and if he doesn't want to wait, I just will tell him to take a freaking chill pill." Sasha sipped some of the water, and then took a deeper drink. He didn't want to eat more, but he didn't want to waste his salad as he decided it would be best to do it because he doubt he would be able to have a good meal tomorrow as he just decided to focus on the meal. "Don't worry; I'll be sure to keep you updated. Perhaps one day I can meet your friend to get more details- and perhaps- it would make him more aware if he throws a fit someone besides you will be there to back up the other person."

"Yeah yeah." Laguna said standing up to throw away his food, looking down at his watch. "Damn- it only feels like we've been here for 15 minutes. It's almost five thirty, I best head out." That made Sasha drop his fork – he would be late to the meeting if he didn't leave now. "You got a ride back home?"

"Yes, the 32 which will be arriving in five minutes." Sasha said as he realized that also, standing up too quickly, feeling a bit lightheaded at that to throw away his food and clean off the table. "I'll call you later, alright man?" Laguna said waving as he hurried out.

Sasha downed the rest of his water and headed out also, pulling out his cellphone to tell Milla he was getting on the bus now. It looked like the bus was stopped right in front of the McBurgerQueen. Thank god, it must have had its stop back to the hotel there as he rushed there. The steps feeling steeper and the bus feeling colder than before. A little more quiet as he sat down in the first seat he could, ignoring the bus door slamming shut.

-

It was 6:15 and Milla was running late as per her normal life. She pushed back her hair into a ponytail and stepped into the small meeting room at the hotel. There were a few agents there already. "Sorry I'm late." She said with a smile. "You know how airport traffic can be." A few of them nodded, of course they knew, they had to deal with it as much as any other agent who had to go anywhere outside of a half a day car trip anywhere. She sat down at the table as she grabbed her files from her brief case. "Alright, let's get this meeting started. Sasha, please start."

The agents stared at her. "Agent Nein had arrived yet." Said one plump female agent. This made Milla blink a little, Sasha was never late, and he was always early if anything. And he hadn't called her yet. "We figured he was dropping Agent Aquato off at the airport with you to ensure he made it on the plane safely."

Milla pulled out her cell phone to see if Sasha had left her any messages, there was one on her phone from about five minutes ago- she must have overlooked it. She read over it, Sasha missed the bus and just got onto one. She breathed out a small sigh of relief.

"Okay, Sasha just sent me a message, he is running late. We can start without him." She knew he was on the 32 and it took about 15 minutes to get here. It felt odd to be someplace before Sasha was; it was like showing up to a party before the decorations even got put up. "So, as for this meeting, James Levi had struck recently, but because this was Agent Nein and my own case, we were sent in to investigate, and two pieces of evidence was planted there for us. Letters. I have copies of them right here for you all to look over." She handed them out so the agents could read over the copy of the letter in the folder, and the copy of the letter Sasha had found earlier today. She gave them a few minutes to read over them. "Now, today when Sasha got the letter, I was out with Agent Aquato to do interviews with people who had survived the chaos- psychics who did not qualify for Whispering Rock. They said that Levi told them that tomorrow would be something big."

"So, why didn't they tell one of us this?" A blond man asked Milla. Milla looked at him.

"Well, it was because Levi threatened them, saying that if they don't tell Sasha or me first, he would kill their families." The plump woman from earlier nodded. They felt threatened and with the situation they came out of, they thought it would be a very real threat. But because of that, now they were all understaffed here in case something big did happen tomorrow. If they had been given 24 hours notice instead of 12, they could have had agents here already, they could have eased more agents into the scenes here without it being a show.

"So, why is Nein running around by himself if he is a target?" The man asked. Milla frowned, wanting to simply tell them that Sasha was an idiot.

"It is because he does not believe Levi is after him, after all, Levi would want us to focus on one person while he went after something else. So, it's why Sasha sent his baggage with Raz to distract that way-"

"He sent a child to be a target." The woman said, frowning. Her frown matched Milla's own from earlier.

"He says an Airport is the safest place Raz could be right now, his luggage being sent to the same airport but on a different plane. Agent Morales is waiting for him, and all the flight attendants think he is a child visiting his uncle- so they are keeping an eye on him too." So with that, increased security measures and Sasha's luggage on another plane, Raz was safe. "And Sasha said it meant that there would be less people against us tomorrow." In case this did go down. Milla looked down at her watch. It was six thirty. "Sasha is too late now." She said, "Please excuse me for a moment." She said dialing his number, and suddenly felt terrified as it went straight to his voice mail. Her eyes widened as she pointed to the blond and gestured for him to come with her. "We're going to the 32 stop near here." She said, it wasn't a request it was an order.

The agents blinked as the blond and Milla headed out of the office and out of the building to see the bus pulling up. The blond man ran over to it like he was going to miss the bus and watched as people got off of it. He then stepped on and looked down it. Girls with their iPods, women with their kids.

And no Agent Nein.

A/N: Lost Password! I love your theories! They are all quite good :D


	11. Three Stories

No Agent Nein. Milla felt her heart drop and her stomach wanting expel the salad from earlier. She stepped onto the bus, pushing the blond- Agent Ince grabbing his cell phone to text the agents inside about this. He wasn't about to leave Milla now, he knew that in case one partner goes- the other was sure to follow and he didn't want this partner to go hunting. Milla put on her best smile, doing her best to be an actress, not letting the idea of her Sasha be missing crack her expression.

"Darling." She said as she looked at the bus driver, "Have you happened to see a green man, about this tall?" she gestured a little above her own height. "Dressed in a cheap mustard yellow turtle neck and slacks?" They always dressed cheap when on a mission, so if the clothes end up getting destroyed, they don't have to worry too much about replacements, unless of course, it was for shoes. But, right now, Milla would happily burn them all to have Sasha back with her and know he was safe. The bus driver blinked as they went through their mental registry of people they had seen on the bus today. They had many people come up, so trying to remember just one was hard. Then, from the back of their mind they remembered someone who was trying to chat with a woman a while back.

"Was his voice really deep and had an accent?" they didn't get many European accents on the bus. Milla nodded wildly at that. "Yes, that's him. He said he was on this bus- do you know what stop he might have gotten off at?"

Ince was making it look like he was too busy texting so he could peer out of the corner of his eye and she if anyone on the bus acted odd. The only expression he saw was a few people wanting the bus to hurry up and go. The bus driver shook her head.

"He wasn't on this one, but the last place I saw him was getting off at the stop at McBurgerQueen near the Center a few hours ago." Milla bit on her bottom lip a little. She didn't like that update at all. "If you do see him, could you please tell him to call me?" Milla questioned, the woman shrugged and said she would as the two stepped off the bus. Ince pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his expression even.

"I'll talk to the crew and tell them our priorities have changed." He grimaced, he knew off the top of his head this was the second time Nein had been kidnapped, the previous time being an incident with a dentist and sneezing powder. He didn't read too much into it. Milla on the other hand was going to call Truman.

She pulled out her cell phone as they nearly ran back inside. Ince moving to the table to tell his crew about what was happening as Milla dialed Truman's home number. Something she preferred not to do under normal circumstances, only because when someone is home they deserve some rest.

Lili picked up. "Hello, this is the Zanotto house."

Milla put on her happy tone, "Hello sweetie, I need to talk to your father." She had a forced a smile to her face. Lili did not need to even guess something is wrong.

"Alright, I'll get him- DAD. MILLA IS ON THE PHONE." She shouted as Milla heard Truman yell something in the background as Lili kept on. "You normally don't call the home line. What's up?"

"Oh, Raz is coming back home. I thought it would be best for him to focus on home base things, so Agent Morales is picking him up. I just need to talk to your father about making sure Agent Morales doesn't try and teach Raz how to smoke or similar."

Lili nodded, she knew Milla wasn't the biggest fan in the world of Che because she found his personality too lax and she felt sorry for his wife because he openly admitted he liked developing crushes on people and flirting with anything because he thought it was fun. Truman grabbed the phone from Lili.

"Hey Milla." He said to the woman as he shooed Lili to go into the kitchen to help her Mom as he walked to the back patio. He knew that if Milla called the house it was important. "Penny for your thoughts?" He also knew Lili was an eavesdropper and wanted to keep everything boring, to make her feel like the Psychonauts were boring and that she would decide to become a botanist or an English major or something besides a psychic agent and only went to camp to control her abilities.

"Sasha's missing." Milla said Truman felt his eyes go wide as he paced a little around the patio; he also turned on the TV onto the Food Network.

"It sucks that FedEx lost your package," Truman started, "Where was it last at?"

Milla knew that was a sign Lili was probably trying to sit nearby or be invisible so she could find out what was happening.

"He was meeting up with Laguna for dinner at McBurgerQueen by the Center. I got a text saying he would be on the bus, but the bus driver hadn't seen him. I am about to head to the restaurant and see what they say. "

Truman remember Milla telling him about the letter and the responses from the interviews. He personally had found nothing wrong with the idea of Sasha heading out to eat if he gave details about his location because he knew Sasha was usually careful.

"I'll send an agent out." He said before correcting himself. "To talk to the UPS guy. We'll find the package. "And he was going to go to work. He turned off his phone. "Rose- Lili, I got to go to work real quick. You two just start without me." He said, grabbing a box of Snacks and heading out. Lili scowled at that as she sent Raz a text message, groaning as she realized she had used up all her texts for the month and Truman blocked them.

As soon as he was in his car, he was calling Che, while Milla was trying to do the exact same thing. She frowned as the line was busy as Jonathan Ince looked at his group. "The situation has changed you three." He said, pushing back his hair. "Avaya, I want you to check the bus routes." The large man nodded at that as he headed out the door. "Breedlove, go to the hotel room. See if you can find traces on Nein. Palmer, you maintain the home base. If any other agents enter our radius, tell them they have a new mission." Ince was an A-type, it was how he became one of the youngest Agent Supervisor in the Psychonauts many years ago, he didn't want the fame or to be a field agent, he didn't want action when he joined. He wanted to make sure stuff got done. He looked at Milla.

"You and I are going to McBurgerQueen." He said, Milla didn't question it because that was simply common sense, and if she couldn't have Sasha or Agent Sanders, she might as well have someone she knew who knew what he was doing. The man stepped out of the office and Milla followed, she could tell Ince had his mind on a goal. And she also knew he respected her rank as a field agent and that she respected his as an office one. She tried to dial a number she could trust, Raz's plane left about four hours ago, he should be landing in an hour.

-  
Agent Che Morales blended in the airport in a perfect and odd way; he was wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and a pair of baggy shorts and flip-flops, as if he forgot that it was cold outside. And next to him was a thin teenager/young woman wearing too many scarves and drinking a bottle of coke. She had bright blue eyes and short black hair. He already had the security pass and was past the gate to pick up Raz.

"So, why did Milla call you, Chula?" Che questioned to the girl. She blinked owlishly as she handed Che a note. He scanned over the note and pushed his hand through his own short hair. Luka kept on smiling at what Milla told her, she was kept in the dark. Milla had figured if Luka is picking up the suitcase and anyone approached her, Luka would do what was told, drop it and run. Because that was what Milla told her to do.

"She said Sasha wanted to go right home so I am getting his things and keeping them at mine until he comes pick it up." Che nodded, as the girl swung her arms back and forth. Milla also told her to stick close to Che, who the Brazilian described as a 'Big Cuban Blueberry'- which was enough for the girl to find him. Che had decided when Milla got a civilian involved, he would make sure the girl made it home safe and be a distraction in general. But from what Raz had texted, nothing had gone down and that when he checked out everyone in the plane, they were also civilians, but he was suspicious. He held up the sign that he made that said: RAZMATAZ and Luka just drank her soda.

Che saw the boy exit the terminal and was waving as he ran over to the man. "Hey Che!" he said as Luka's eyes widened as she saw the boy, her arms flapping a bit wildly. She remembered reading about that boy before in one of the newer issues of True Psychic Tales! Free comic tale issue: THE LUNGFISH OF THE LAKE.

"Hi! I'm Luka! I'm a huge fan!" She said suddenly, Milla told her to be less obvious a fan of the comic due to some privacy issue thing, but she felt it slide out of her mouth by accident. "You're so short, but you are also amazing!" Che face palmed as Raz puffed up a little at the teen-ignoring the short comment. His first fangirl besides Crystal.

"I'm here to pick up Sasha's things because you know how he didn't even want to bother, but his plane doesn't arrive soon want to go to an airport restaurant? I promise not to kidnap you and dress you in little sailor suits, I'll treat." Che suspected Luka did not have a brain to mouth filter. It's that this was different then happening to find your hero on the street with the goal to present you theories to him, this was meeting an adorable little boy who happened to be in the comics so he must have been like a mascot animal and thus meant to fan over. But then again, if anyone was following them, he would be able to find them faster.

"I'll treat, girlie." He said with a smile, "After all, a lady should be spoiled, not spoiling." Luka smiled at that, and Raz stored that in his mental archive of pickup lines. Che was obviously smooth in the mind of an 11 year old.

-

It was mostly empty, except for a few teenagers trying to waste time before having to go home before their parent set curfew. Ince was searching the restaurant as Milla asked the girl at the counter a question.

"Darling, have you all been busy today? I am looking for a friend who came here and said he would leave me a note." A flat out lie, but she knew if she said she was with the law, the girl would be more likely to make up information instead of giving her the raw facts. Memory was an odd thing. "He came in around 4-ish. Were you working then?"

The girl nodded as she raked through her mental archives. "Was he dressed nice? But with an ugly sweater?" Normally Milla would laugh at that, but now wasn't the time for that. She nodded.

"Yeah, he came in, ate salad with a redneck then headed out around 5:30. He got on the bus." That was 45 minutes before she got to the meeting, he would have had enough time to go back to the hotel, change and go to the meeting if he wanted to rush a little.

"Do you remember what he looked like- the man he was with?" The girl nodded as Milla psychically brushed up against the girl's mind, to see if she could capture the memory the girl was pulling up. A toothless man, Sasha eating salad, Sasha coming up looking paler than normal. The man, whom she assumed was Laguna looking at Sasha then looking over at the salad case. The girl grabbing a clear cup to put some water in, then looking over by the drive-through to the man with a bandage on his forearm who was normally there grabbing a salad dressing packet. The girl noticed a little dot of dressing on the side of it and quickly wiped it off before handing it and the water to Sasha.  
The girl finished her description by the time Milla was done, and then she paused. The dressing package had a hole in it, a small one. "Darling, when he texted me last, he said the drive through gentleman had a bandage on his arm. He was too shy to ask, but how come?"

"Oh! Joshie has a tattoo there. It is pretty big; most people think it's a burn or something from the fry cooker. It's actually really pretty." Milla peered behind the counter to see if the man was there.

"I want to see it." She said, suddenly wondering something. The girl smiled, "He doesn't like showing it off, but I've seen it. No picture though. It looks like this."

The girl grabbed some receipt paper and quickly drew something out. When Milla saw it she was terrified.

It was of a skull wearing a veil with a symbol engraved on the cheekbone.

"He says it about how the government tries to be see through but they aren't really."

It was the sign of The Veil's ops group. She kept her breathing steady as she forced a smile on her face. "Thank you. Jon! Got a hint!" she said trying to sound playful. Jon on the other hand was looking more serious. He had no poker face and he was talking to a boy cleaning off tables. "As do I." he said as they both headed out.

"Sasha didn't get on a bus." He said as soon as the door shut behind them, locking out the smells of fast-food and day old french-fries. "In fact, he got into a semi-truck cab with a cross painted on the hood of it. "

"He was drugged." Milla added on, remembering seeing that package of dressing with the pinprick hole in the side of it. How the girl so easily wiped it off, the man making sure she got that one particular pack. So that meant his kidnapper sent the cell phone message so they would be that much behind everyone else. If she wasn't a lady, she would be swearing up a storm. Instead, she kept her mouth in a tight line while a storm brewed in her heart and in her mind.

Che watched the two chat over comics. It was disgusting how well the two got along over silly things like comics, they had two arguments over theories about symbolism and talked about what they would do in that situation knowing they could cross-reference something when not in the middle of a huge panic attack or worried about the president's brain being eaten by a New York sewer gator. But, it kept Raz's mind away from the chaos happening in Texas and keeping him from bringing it up. After all, if they were just sitting here waiting for luggage, there must be nothing that is in a rush right?

Raz would need to be informed of the situation in an official manner. Not from a co-worker telling him. From Truman sitting him down at a meeting along with others who will be involved and have it spelled out and what they could expect. Raz has only had Sasha as his mentor for not even a month- Che didn't want to see the boy lose his so soon. The boy stopped talking for a moment as he pulled out his phone. "Lili texted me." He said as he flipped open his phone. Something else Che hated, how everyone had cell phones now a days, why would a 9 year old need a cell phone. Raz's smile dimmed as he read what Lili wrote.

Che spoke first. "Is she breaking up with you?" Why else would the boy be frowning? Raz's green eyes met Che's own red ones.

"Sasha's missing?"

How did Lili know? Luka dropped her fork, paling at that. Che's eyes widened how did Lili find out? Why did she think it would be good to tell Raz? Che grabbed the phone so he could read over the message.

'Raz. Whats the plan for finding Sasha?'

Lili assumed Raz already knew because of everything. Luka shook her head.

"No, Milla told me he's out and I am supposed to pick up his baggage." She seemed pleased with that response, she trusted Milla. Che grimaced a little.

"Chula, I think Sasha's baggage is here by now. Go check for me, I'll keep an eye on everything." While he would talk to Raz.

-  
Sasha hurt. A lot. His head was fuzzy, his arms hurt, and he felt like he was going to vomit. He looked around to figure out his situation. His sweater and jacket were off, judging by how cold he was and the fact they were being used as a pillow for him. He was on a sleeper for a semi truck. There were a few empty syringes around, he looked at his upper arm and noticed the series of dots of blood. That would explain the syringes, and why it felt like his head was fuzzy. He focused on one of the needles to see if he could make it do something.

It did do something, all of nothing.

He reached up to try and brush his hair out of his eyes and noticed his hands were cuffed in a hinged set of cuffs. Whoever did that knew those would be a bastard to try and wiggle out of them. A Christian radio station was playing and a man was singing in the front seat. Sasha tried to force himself up to a sitting position and felt himself promptly fall back down onto his side onto his pillow of sweater and jacket.

'Love rescued me, love rescued me, looooove rescued me.'

The man sang, Sasha opened his mouth to try and say something, but something between his brain and his mouth just wasn't working and the most he was able to do was work his lips in something trying to feel like words. He would have rather had his brain outside his body than this, because then he would KNOW why he couldn't work his body, and know he wasn't pumped to the nines of various medications. Everything about the medications looked wrong, words that didn't make sense, Saint Jew? What? He tried to sit up again and this time made it. He felt like that was a little victory as he was now able to see his captor. A man with short buzzed hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on their neck.' Why would anyone want to get a tattoo on their neck?' Sasha thought to himself as the man looked up and stopped singing, a wicked smile on his face.

"Good Morning Sunshine."

Sasha understood roughly half of that at the moment, blinking owlishly. Then as if the man knew what was going on he spoke in rough German. 'Think in English'.

Then it hit Sasha, that's why everything seemed odd. He was trying to read English as German. He focused once more, and suddenly things started to make a lot more sense. The medication was from Saint Jude's Mental Rehabilitation, a pretty name for the Prison for the criminally and psychically insane. That would explain why his head felt like it was stuffed full with cotton and why he could barely move.

"Good Morning Sunshine." He repeated, now the sentence made sense as Sasha peered out the window, not feeling much ability to do much else as the man spoke. What happened to the bus? To Laguna. Then suddenly it hit him from the case file. Levi's favorite trick was mass brainwashing.

"Sorry I had to lead you on like that, but it looks like we both got what we wanted. You are riding with me to Jude's and I finally have you. Of course, a part of it comes from wanting to help C."

Of course the bad guy will spill his guts. "And the other part comes from wanting to tell C to go fuck himself into the sunset. Because really, while his goal and my goal are the same, his is really clichéd. Find his other half, get back with it-like fuck I know how, and then put the non-psychics in their place, blah blah blah why should we have to hide. You see, I just wanted to do that, and fuck you and Milla up. Why? Fuck you, that's why. You two take anyone who is trying to step up and push them down and imprison them if they try and does something more than be ashamed of themselves."

Sasha would have been making more mental notes on this if he could fully thing. But so far all he could draw up is: 'Well, if they wanted to step up and be productive instead of burning down buildings or stalking ex's we can talk. But until then, do the crime, do the time'

"So, it was lovely when The Baby Brother called me. He honestly thought I was trying to just get someone to meet up with a friend! Meh! Whatever. His own loss." He shrugged. Sasha felt himself flop to his side again and hated it as he wondered if he felt around his jacket some more if he could find his cell phone.

"Tossed it out the window about 45 miles ago, bro." Levi said, "And quit wiggling, you're going to hurt yourself." Levi said easily as Sasha was staring at the back of his stupid shaved head hoping it would explode in to hamburger meat. "And I can't have that, at least not now. I got to deliver you in one piece to Jude's."

Why there? The truck pulled over to the side of the road as Levi moved to a red lunchbox and pulled out another needle and tapped the side of it before making sure there were no air bubbles in it.

"Just relax. Promise, you'll find out more soon enough"

A/N: Hey guys! Starting to get on a roll here! Just wanted to say if you have a tumblr, tell me and I'll follow you (I need to follow more folks) and also big news!

For NaNoWriMo, I am planning on working on this fic and try and 'win' by updating it by 50k words in the next month. So wish me luck because I have a lot of ideas and I am hoping I just don't overpower the story with everything I want in it.

Loves and Hugs!


	12. The Flawed Sides

Got those who didn't know, cells phones could be found using a variety of methods, one method was using the phone's GPS system and trying to find the phone through the soft ware installed on the phone. Another way would be using the phone's hardware itself and triangulate its location between cell phone towers and find it that way. The preferred method is usually the latter because one could trust hardware so much more than the other kind. Jonathan Ince was currently trying to use both to find Agent Sasha Nein's cell phone and in hopes of finding it and thusly finding the missing agent. The blond glared at his computer screen as he heard Milla on the phone trying to contact local agents in bordering states along with any down near the Mexican-American border. If Levi wanted to escape now, he would have to get through the best kind of army.

The kind that looked like normal people. People barely out of teenager hood with flecks of acne and still trying to fit into their own bodies, old women with gaudy jewelry, women who looked like they should be pushing shopping carts at Wal-Mart with garish tattoos on them, men who were overweight. This was why he loved the Psychonauts. Because someone could be in the agency and not look it. For those with the brain, they could become the hero that they were often told they couldn't be. He stood up once he got results that agreed. Just outside of I-40 and an airport about an hour away.

"Breedlove." Ince said as he stood up, "Call law enforcement in Vega and tell them what we found. Then call anything along those roads so they can keep an eye out for the truck." He started to head out, Milla following him. Personally Ince thought she was too close to be allowed to go with him anymore. But he bit back on that, knowing that he might need Milla with him. Then he paused, what if this was a set up so Levi could attack. He reached for his keys and then looked at Breedlove. "Give Milla your car keys. I'll still need mine."

Milla blinked at that. "It's because someone has to keep Amarillo covered, and I know I know the area better than you do. You go collect Sasha's phone and we can work from there. Besides, I know you will want to go after any direction the phone hints." He knew Truman would not approve of this, but honestly, the man didn't care as Milla headed out.

Milla's mind was on a thousand things at once, and she knew she was being selfish. Truman would have people looking for Sasha, but she also knew if she found Sasha she would find Levi and that would be doing the mission. She was also mentally reminded this is why Sasha probably would never want to be more than what they were. She suspected, but she would just tease and flirt with him to see those reactions he would get. But, being in love with your partner also meant that when something happened, you would be hurt on more than just the bond between friends. It created risks and liabilities. She found Breedlove's car and got into it, and headed out of the parking lot. The other woman's Cd playing some songs about love and drugs and nananana. Music that did not match her mood.

She wanted Sasha back; she wanted to know he was safe with her. So that her heart could stop hurting. But, sitting around would accomplish nothing, which was why she was going to prove to herself-if no one else- why she deserved to be on TV besides her amazing hair.

-

Che looked at Raz there was a cease in his brows trying to figure out how he was going to word this to the boy across the table. He knew on one hand Raz was still very much a child, which was something that wouldn't change for a while and would appear so no matter how much Raz tries to present otherwise by treating adults like his equals and giving them the proper courtesies when they were due. But on the other hand, Raz was also a Psychonauts and he could not be granted special privileges due to his age. He refused to let his eyes meet Raz's own for a moment. Raz was under Sasha's guidance, so if Sasha was unable to correct Raz, it would fall into Milla's lap. Then it could be escalated to Truman or handed over to him to do because even though Sasha worked with Oleander more than him, on paperwork he worked with Sasha more. He also had to grin and bear it because that was one of the not-perks of being a senior agent. When you had to scold people because they screwed up-even if it was something smallish.

"Raz." He started off, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt, "Do not pay attention to the rumor mill. Especially when it comes from a civilian." Raz grimaced before frowning. After a few moments he spoke, he was serious about what he was about to say.

"Che, Lili is Truman's daughter. She under-"

"No, no she doesn't." Che said, sounding more firm than what he wanted to. "She did not sign the paperwork to be a Psychonaut. You signed it and your father signed it to agree that you would uphold the rights and responsibilities that came with the suit and the Psycho-Portal being made." The Cuban's voice was low, so no one would overhear. "She doesn't legally have permission to see those files, or eavesdrop on conversations her father has in hopes that the Agency will become more than a shadow of what it used to be. What she is doing is illegal."

Raz had to defend his girlfriend. "You know Lili won't do anything bad with it." The expression on Raz's face only brought out the fact to Che that Raz really was a little boy at times.

"She sent you a message, Raz. What if you responded then she lost her cell phone? On that cell phone is information that shouldn't have been texted in the first place. Some Agents are more casual about it yes, but their cell phones are hooked up where if we did lose them, the Agency could erase the contents of the phone from a remote location. Lili's is not. She has a civilian cell phone because that's what she is. A civilian Raz, and until she gets the uniform, she will be just that. And things that involve work stay at work. "Which is what made Luka being picked by Milla so off to him also. That was until he looked over her mind quickly and saw that Sasha and Milla treated her like a friend and saw that when it came to their jobs, they just discussed 'theories' and the two agents worked for supplying candy bars to the US government. Luka was in the dark, her head too filled with fandom for people to tell what was real or what was some fan fiction she was writing where Sasha and Milla go fight dragons in the Middle Ages, so if any one tried to check her for information, they would see she knew nothing. A calculated risk.

"But, she has been on missions before."

"She has also been kidnapped enough for one girl, even considering her father used to be an expert on kidnapping." Che frowned, as Raz's eyes widen.

"Really, Sasha said I was one!" he puffed out in pride. Che cocked his head to the side. He found that a little odd, Sasha wasn't one to toss out things like that easily. But he did read the reports of the Whispering Rock incident and perhaps seeing Raz in action allowed Sasha to see that Raz had the heart willing to work in cases like that. Everyone had a type of case they did amazing in. Truman was kidnapping cases, and his last case was the one that sealed him going down the path of being a Grand Head. He wondered if Raz would keep that heart as he got older and saw that not everyone could come home from those, and the person assigned to the case would be haunted by it. No, focus Morales. Focus. "So, the moral of the story is what happens at work, stays at work, with your co-workers. So when Luka arrives, we make it seem like nothing happened, and if she asks about Sasha, that's the name of my cat." Raz didn't like lying point blank like that, making up stories. But he pocketed his phone and knew it was what had to be done.

-  
Luka waited by the bag carousel, waiting for Sasha's bag to pop out and onto the conveyer belt. Her arms were swinging to and fro, humming a little song to herself about putting love in a bag or a box. She saw people come up and get their bags, Milla said that for Sasha's bag she put on strap that looked like a bunch of flowers so his bag wouldn't get mixed up for anyone else's.

She watched the bags slowly disappear and no flower covered bag appeared. She checked the information she wrote down, and Sasha's stuff should have been here. Then she saw something, a large man walking off with a rolling bag covered in the strap Milla described. Her eyes widened as she ran over to the man.

"Excuse me!" She said jumping in front of him, the man scowling. "I think you accidently took my bag." She didn't want to be responsible for Sasha losing his clothes and being stressed and irritated about it all. Besides Milla trusted her to make sure the bag made it home safe.

"I know my tag is obvious and such and really girly and that a lot of girls might have it and it might be your daughter's but I'm Sasha Nein. Check the little taggy over there." She pointed to it, the man looked at it.

"You don't look like a Nein." He said scanning over her mind.

"I'm Scottish!" She remembered a fan theory based off someone researching names and family crests of the agents. It came naturally; it came from her writing fics in her mind. The man stared at her for a few moments before frowning. "I slipped my wallet in a pocket let me get it out."

The man slipped his hand into said pocket and pulled out his wallet before handing the bag over to the girl. "Sorry about the confusion. I thought this was a bag of my friend-his name is Sasha Nein."

Luka smiled. "Like the True Psychic Tale guy?" Her head was too filled with comics and hero worship. The man grimaced a little; it was kind of disgusting to him. She was like a stalker.

"No." he said before walking off, and before Luka ran off to go find Che and Raz.

-  
When Sasha awoke, he smelled laundry. He saw shadows dancing along stacks of white t-shirts and orange pants. He felt the room slowly cooling off and Levi talking.

"It's not that hard, you get Sal and you get your credit score back. And if things go really good, you both get a chunk of change. You two just have to decide who does what." Sasha blinked wondering what was being talked about, "Nein doesn't get killed though."

Well, that was not much of a relief. Probably meant he was switching hands. "And I'll be staying in a control room to watch it all. So you two better not fuck it up." Sasha wished he knew what was going on. Then Sasha heard the men walking over to where he was. Sasha looked up at Levi and the two men he was with. Sasha looked them down to up, black pants, white shirts, ties, badges, patches. They were prison guards. For Saint Jude's. One guard, who was older and with dirty grey hair moved to get Sasha on his feet, Sasha looked at the name badge: Cole. Sasha tried to rack his brain if he knew who this person was, and the answer was no. No he didn't. As soon as Levi left the guard started to walk out of the room and into the familiar hallways of the Penn with a name too lovely for what it was. Prisoners were cheering when they saw Sasha being escorted down the hall. Sasha didn't quite comprehend what they were saying as Cole spoke to Sasha.

"This is nothing personal, really. I am sure someone from the HQ will be down here anyways to make sure everything is locked up right." He pulled out his handcuffs. "Levi told me to do it this way. Again, nothing personal." He hooked one wrist of the cuffs to an empty cell door and the other half to Sasha's cuffs. Sasha tried to move into the cell before he realized something that made him sick to his stomach. The cell door was unlocked and Sasha was pretty much chained to the front of it. The sedatives made Sasha want to slouch down a little, but he had to stay focused. The prisoners were looking out from their cells like he was a piece of meat. Many in here he or Milla were somehow involved with.

-

Agent Cole made it to the camera room where Levi was sitting, watching the screen with Sasha on it with joy on his face. "What did you tell Blair to do?" he questioned as Levi leaned forward a little. "Quite simply, I want to cause a riot." Cole gawked at Levi.

"What?" No. That wasn't right. He was told just to put Nein where everyone could see him. He thought it was just so Nein could hear a bunch of wolf-tickets screaming at him.

Levi just chuckled. "You see, we need to build some energy, let people know the Psychonauts abused their power. That they suppressed people they should be helping. Let Nein see what happens with his heavy handed idea of justice."

Levi had a lie for everyone. He only wanted to see the German suffer and he wanted his hands clean of causing any of this. All he did was give Sasha over to the Prison to be on display, he couldn't help it at the same time Blair accidently dropped the keys during an inspection…

-

This was important to Guard Blair that he did this right that he did this smoothly. If he does this right, he could get Sal back. His friend who joined the Veil many years ago, he joined the guard so if the man ever arrived here, he could protect him. And now, now all he had to do was drop the keys and let the prisoners do whatever they want. They could eat each other, but now he could get his childhood friend back on the right path. He didn't lock the door when they went in to do the counts, he coughed, making a show of pulling out his tissue paper from his pocket, the guard he was with not hearing the jangle of keys hitting the cement floor. Walking off as the man in the cell reached out to grab the keys and unlock his own door once the two guards were out.

-

Cole watched as the men in Cellblock C get their doors unlocked and pouring out of the cell. Levi laughed as Blair was thrown into a cell and the door locked and Naraja was slammed against a wall and mugged for his keys. He watched as the prisoners started to turn on each other or go to release more. Cheers being heard down the halls.


	13. A rejected offer

Everything felt like it was going to hell in a handbasket, especially when Milla got the call from Ince while she was speeding down the I-40 to the location where Sasha's cellphone was.

"Milla, get the cellphone, put it in the lockbox because we need as many hands as we can get to New Mexico." Milla blinked, wondering how things were just getting worse and worse. She knew if she was being told to go to New Mexico ASAP it was an emergency- but what about Sasha? Another reminder of why she should focus less on the idea of her romantic interest and more in reality.

"A riot broke out at the rehabilitation center." What? But that place was a tin can, sedatives and locks. She nodded, "Any details on how?"

Ince who was calling agents from his location to try and get them to the center paced around his office a little. "Yes, so far what has been reported is that a Guard dropped his keys when having a coughing fit and didn't notice until he was thrown into a cell with one other." Guard Naraja called from his phone- which he shouldn't have even had on him to call for help as soon as he could regain consciousness.

Milla knew the lives of the guards were at stake along with any nighttime workers, and if things kept on the way they were- people in the local area too. She grimaced as she made an executive decision. "Darling, send someone else for Sasha's phone."

Sasha could be already dead, Sasha could be up in Oklahoma or getting closer and closer to the border. They already had people keeping an eye out for that, they needed agents who could control a big situation, and the lives of many outweighed the life of one, and she knew Sasha would say the exact same thing. She changed lanes on the interstate, the plains zooming past her as thought about what she knew of the location as she hung up. The radio station she had turned to once she grew tired of Breedlove's CD changed into static. This was part of her job. If she could keep one person alive tonight, she knew she made the right choice.

Even if she felt like tonight, she might have another nightmare to lock up in her mind.

-

Luka hurried down the airport corridor, she could not belive some jerk tried to steal the bag! Why would anyone want to randomly steal luggage like that? After all, people had their own things and if they wanted a suitcase like that, they could probably find a nice mock one online for super cheap! She pursed her lips as she saw Che and Raz sitting at the table, Che had his head hung low as Raz poked at his food.

"Hey! I got Sasha's bag!" she said trotting up, looking at the two. "Hey, whats wrong?" she questioned as Che smiled.

"Well, they found my cat, and Raz must be tired, after all, he had been running around all day today." The girl nodded as she sat down at the table.

"Well, " she started sipping on her coke. "I had to lie to get Sasha's bag back!" That made Raz perk up some.

"Huh? Why?"

"Some jerk tried taking it. I was like: 'Hey man, I'm Sasha Nein. So back off.' and he was like: 'You don't look like a Nein.' and I was like, 'Bro. Nein is a scottish name.'"

"Did you see him put anything in it?" Raz asked narrowing his eyes.

"I saw him take his wallet out." Che blinked as he moved over to Sasha's bag and unzipped the pockets, frowning when he saw something, he pocketed whatever it was and handed her the bag back.

"Okay, then, you should go home."

Raz blinked as he tried to see what Che grabbed as the girl didn't even seem to notice, or care as she zipped up the bag again, thinking it was just one of Sasha's odd friends thing. She looked over at her food, which was already boxed up.

"Its that I need to get Raz home. Sorry about that." He said as he waved at her. "But you- me, comic book convention one day." He said with a wink before motioning at Raz to leave. The boy frowned a little as he followed Che, leaving Luka going to her food.

Raz looked up at the large blue toned man. "What was that about?" he questioned as Che reached out of his pocket to show a small pill looking item. "A tracking device."

Che nodded, "They probably wanted to know where Sasha lived. So we're going to send them on a wild goose chase." He said as they stepped outside into the cold night. The sky was cloudy and Che shivered a little, a part of Raz mentally laughed at that. That's what you get for running around in wintertime in shorts, buddy. Che went to an old beat up pick up truck and unlocked the door for Raz. Once Raz was settled, Che smiled.

"So, you used to be in the circus, right?"

"Uh yeah. I thought that was pretty common knowledge, you know, with my Dad wearing a leotard all the time." He pointed out carefully, wondering if Che was just joking or not.

"Good, get an envelope from my glove compartment and write down the furthest place you can think of from here. We're going to send the tracker globetrotting." Raz had to laugh a little at that. It was something that was ingenious actually. "Are you going to tell someone."

Che nodded, "I am, and that's why we're going to have an agent pick it up and wait."

"Whats with you all and using everyone else as bait."

Che shrugged. "Mind games mostly. Its that when I send someone on a goosechase like this, I know they can handle it." Raz nodded as he quickly put on an address in Australia and put a stamp on it, ready to cram it in the next mailbox they could find.

-  
Levi was now cackling as he watched this, the prisoners were spreading out across the prison like water- the only lockdown they were able to get were the final ones to keep everyone inside and let no one get out. He saw them run to the medical area to grab medication to try and get themselves higher than kites in some case and in others in the vain hopes to get their abilities back. Others ran to the kitchen to grab knives to go after anyone who snitched them out, others found lighters and acetone from the art room for those lucky enough to be allowed to use it. He saw some go down to the workshop and get pliars and tools and other nasty equipment, either to work with their escape or to get revenge on others. He saw some steal food to take to friends in other areas to celebrate their new found freedom. And some just wanted to go on a proverbial warpath across the building.

He also saw one of the guards who got locked up pull out his cellphone and call for help. He got to see another guard have his own taser taken to him before being kicked and mauled, like a pack of wolves on an injured pup trying to fight back. This was human nature, and it was amazing to see it in its raw form.

He also watched as they got closer and closer to what he was going to consider the main event. He saw someone get stabbed in the throat with a shank from their own cell, blood spraying shooting out with each heartbeat, going nicely against the bullet proof glass that allowed the prison to look more open and welcoming than what it really was.

It made him feel warm, these people would know who was the group that did it. They would see that they had friends with others had abandoned them.

Sasha heard noise, screaming of another kind besides the insults thrown at him. But something was very wrong, there was more noise than the normal ones he heard when in here, and he doubt it was just because of his presence in the room. Then he saw it, down on a lower-level near the door, a crow d of people and some blood sprayed across the glass. That's when it made sense to him, a riot. He forced himself to stand a bit better as he now tried to see how far the cuffs would let him move, and if they would let him move inside the cell.

Sasha Nein had no doubt what some of these people would do to him if given the chance, and this was honestly the chance they all had been waiting for. He could barely move, he didn't have his abilities, and he couldn't escape. He prayed he could at least try and get something between him and the on-coming crowd. He also looked for something that could be used to defend himself. He only had his belt to his name right now, Levi even took his shoes, he guess in fear that Sasha might gain enough strength to kick back. As he moved around he felt something poke him on the hip and when he looked down he saw the tip of his bottle of smelling salts. He knew he had put those in his jacket today. Levi purposely moved them. He pulled once more on the cuffs, in the vain hope they would snap. But they were metal, and he was no where nearing being fit enough to even have the dream of doing something of the sort.

The door slammed open. In stepped the start of the crowd, some of them shouting, the prisoners cheering at their luck and one stepped out of the crowd as Sasha cursed his own. He would never forget the man who stepped out, he was much bigger than he was years ago back on his first mission. Anthony Blea Jr. A starter case for a new Agent, a man who would write bad checks that were just strips of paper without even a bank name on them. Sasha had followed his trail to only find out Blea was using that little tricks to bribe prostitutes to his car so he could take them to a motel where he would gruesomely kill them.

Sasha was even more positive he was going to die tonight. Blea was talking to someone and then he looked up to where Sasha was chained up at. He unlocked the man's cell and violently took a bit of broken pipe from a nearby prisoner as he climbed the stairs.

"Baby Agent Neeeeeein." The man called out, he wasn't stringy anymore, the years in here with only his body to improve on showed. "I hear you're in here. We should make friends you and I." Sasha felt his heart jump up to his throat as he took a deep breath. Look level, show some pride. When you're a hostage, you don't want to look weak. You don't want your captors to see you as less than human. You want to remind your captors somehow you're the same thing as them-human.

Sasha shut his eyes for a moment, then focused on looking calm. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. Show some decorum. Show some pride in who and what you are. If you're going down tonight, you're not going to do it screaming and crying. Sasha didn't even look at the man as he turned the corner.

"Well, I never thought I'd see you here. What you in for?" Blea said as he slowly stalked up. It made Sasha think of a bear or maybe a bull or some other large dangerous animal that people more poetic than him at the moment could think of on the fly. Sasha didn't even turn to look at him.

"I am in here quite simply because I was kidnapped and a guard did his job half-assed and didn't put me in my cell."

Blea chuckled at that as he was now only a few feet away. He placed the pipe down by the tip, as if using it for a cane. "I see, I see. You know a lot of folks in here have a bone to pick with you right?"

"That I do, Mr. Blea." Sasha said evenly, as if they were in a park or happening to meet at a party like old friends would.

"Lets make a deal, I protect you, in exchange you say you fucked up all those years ago." Now, Sasha knew if people wanted after him, they could get through Blea. Blea might have been big now, but since that mission years ago, Sasha brought in people a lot bigger and ruthless. Plus, his own pride wouldn't allow him to. To beg to a prisoner for his life. That was something that an agent of the Psychonauts would not do. He would not ever let a pure sociopath like Blea out on the streets if he had anything to say about it.

"I politely refuse your offer of help." Sasha said, still focusing ahead of him. "Although thank you." Sasha knew what would come next, he didn';t have a singular doubt in his mind what would happen. Blea just smirked, "I'll chill right here for a little while then, and when you want my help- I'll help you. Until then…" He picked up the pole, letting it rest firmly in his right hand before positioning his left hand slightly above it. Then swung right for below Sasha's ribs and right to his gut. Sasha saw his vision go white from pain as the pole made contact. If this was a movie, Sasha would have coughed up blood, but this wasn't one, so Sasha knew he would have at the very least now one hell of a bruise. Blea dropped the pole at Sasha's feet for anyone else.

"Going to help them with you until you want my help."

-

Levi screamed with laughter as he leaned against Cole. "Oh damn, Sasha should've just accepted. What do you think is going to happen to him now? Lets place bets- I bet he this will be more 'Tango and Cash' instead of 'Shawshank' what do you think?"

Cole had seen much violence during his time here. But he would step in whenever he had the chance to. But now- now he was sitting here watching it a man who was enjoying it for what? To be able to get a loan so he could get a house? So he could give his family something decent in their lives? He grit his teeth, if he went down there now he would be torn apart also. 


	14. Read the AN before reading this chapter

A/N: YES THERE ARE NOTE AT THE START OF THIS CHAPTER. Because I have some material in here that might be triggering for people with violence and hints of sexual violence (While trying to keep the Teen Rating). I toned it down from my original draft but I also understand that some people might not want to read it. So, I am making a separate chapter for it. If you do not want to read it- SKIP THIS CHAPTER. GO RIGHT TO THE NEXT ONE.

-  
Sasha wheezed as he looked out at the chaos prisoners were turning on each other mostly. He breathed as he forced himself back up, focus. Show some pride.

'Remember, its just a physical wound.' He thought to himself, even though he kept on telling himself that, it still hurt. His knees still shook, he wanted to curl up- but he knew curling up would only open himself up for more ridicule. For someone else to see him as something to hurt. He blinked a few slow long times, to try and blink away the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. They were only attacking him because they could. They didn't see him as a person.

One man came up, a man who was large because of letting his muscles go soft and settle around his waist and pinned Sasha's hands against the bars of the cell, breathing heavily into his neck. Sasha felt the man grope him over the fabric of his pants. Sasha felt bile form in the back of his throat as the man smirked against the flesh of his neck.

"Remember me?" No, no Sasha didn't. Too many faces he had seen in courts or in crowds. "You killed my girl." The man pulled his hands away. Sasha still couldn't put a name to the face, he had killed plenty before in his line of duty, being in situations like he had been in wouldn't make his hands clean from blood. But eventually, the faces remain and meld and become things to chew at you late at night. "Now, I need a replacement girl. Sasha's a pretty name for a punk, don't you think?"

Sasha struggled to get away the best he could as the man laughed as Sasha kicked out, fighting against the sedatives the best he could. The man laughed as he pushed against Sasha and started to undo the German's belt. Blea laughed some, somewhere Levi was mentioning it was getting more Shawshank now. Sasha felt his pants being pushed down and forcefully pulled off. The bottle of smelling salts hitting Blea's foot. He picked it up.

"Well, aren't we lucky? You don't get to miss a moment now." He rested the bottle in the pocket of his own pants. The large man pushed Sasha roughly around, pressing himself against the thinner man.

"Nah, I don't want to stick it in you." He said after a few moments. "But I am sure someone is desperate enough, so I got you ready."

Sasha was breathing heavy, the man slapped Sasha backside as if this was all a fun little joke as the German now tried to get away. Blea sighed.

"Want my help? I can get your pants back on, get someone to get rid of the cuffs keeping you there, and all you have to do is let me free."

Sasha shook his head no. He couldn't let a murderer out on the streets like this.

"So, you're into this stuff then?" the man chuckled. "You want to see it happen? I should have known it." Blea said as Sasha heard someone else come up.

"Am I interrupting anything?" It was a younger voice.

"Nope, Smith just got Nein ready for his fans." Blea said, his voice made Sasha think of oil. It made him think when he would eat too much meat and felt like he could feel the oils separate from his stomach acid and floating on top of it. Sasha tried to pull away, wondering if it would be safer to face the crowd out to keep his back turned. On one hand, if he faced it he would feel less vunerable but on the other hand, people would be able to tell just who he was and that might be a call for action. But on the other hand, if he stayed turned around he might be seen as a target but no actively sought out.

"Fuckin' Naught." The younger voice heard. "I was just playing with some fire, your kind shouldn't have put me in here." He said as Sasha felt something wet on his feet. It smelled like nail polish remover. He felt the grate underneath this feet become slippery but luckily he wasn't standing in a puddle.

Sasha then heard a match get lit and tossed at his feet. Sasha didn't know what happened next besides that he quickly moved and stepped down on his own feet to put out the fire as he finally slunk down, he couldn't maintain standing on his feet like this as he turned to look at his feet. They were burned. Luckily it looked like he put it out quick enough to be second degree. Blea was laughing as was the other.

"Can't stand a little heat?" Sasha turned to look at the voice. He was from one of Che's cases. A little firebug of a pyrokentic, so in response, they sent a big firebug of a pyrokentic. The young man smiled down at Sasha as he grabbed the pole Blea used earlier and swung it at Sasha's back. Then at his arms positioned now above his head, Sasha knew he felt a bone break at that as he cried out in pain. Everything seemed silent to the agent besides that sound, the boy brought the pole up again, and down again with just as much force before, against his back. Against his ribs. Pryokentics felt their emotions stronger than others- their emotions burned. And usually when they were younger, they wanted things to match how they felt- even it was just in the corner of their minds.

"Woah, woah." Blea said, "Don't kill him. If the HQ heard he got killed, they would kill everyone in here." At least Blea had a clue about him, the young man stopped for a moment. Sasha tried to breathe deeply to try and stay calm and he couldn't. The boy broke one of his ribs. Sasha knew he had to take shallow breaths and that wasn't helping him.

"I want him dead." The young man spat out to Blea. "His entire lot should be destroyed. They fucking keep us down for what? I just got rid of abandoned buildings."

"And I got rids of a few sluts, and you see I'm here too." Blea reminded him.

"I want him destroyed."

"Then destroy him. Just keep him alive. He can be a bargaining ticket if all else fails." Blea wanted out of here, and he would use everything he could to get it to happen. Sasha wouldn't want this man back out. He deserved to be caged up. With the rest of the lot in here. They were not in here because they were misunderstood or their mommies didn't hug them enough, they were in here because they made choices. Bad choices.

Everyone in here. Including himself. The felt a shoe to his stomach as he tried to curl up into it, Sasha tried to breathe deeply keep calm. Keep a level head, trying and figure out how to look less pathetic.

The young man then made a choice in here himself.

-  
Cole threw up once, when the young man burned Sasha's feet. Levi pulled him close as Sasha was assaulted. "Okay, you should have made the bet. It did go more for Shawshank." He pointed at the screen. "They better not kill him you know. You see, I want to keep him alive. Why? Fuck him that's why. Well, someone already did that, but who is keeping tally?"

"Can I go now?" Cole asked, swallowing some more bile. "I did what you asked."

Levi shook his head. "Nope, because here is the thing, if I am stuck in here and the agency shows up. You're my ticket. I am doing you a huge solid here. So just enjoy the show. You even said it to him, its nothing personal. You just didn't lock him up properly – everyone else went to town on him. " Levi was trying to disperse the guilt, it made Cole think of the execution squads who would have one real bullet and a bunch of blanks amongst them. So no one could say: I killed a man. But in this case it would be: I destroyed a man.

"Remember, he had this coming to him. He went out of his way to put others down. Instead of helping them, he went to court to toss them in here. Think about it, the entire group sucks. Now the prisoners who you all could have rehabilitated are now running the joint, they are biting the ones who hurt them. But instead of a few per person, it's the entire prison against one. And others. A lot of them seem more concerned about their revenge for things done in here than out here."

"Because the things done in here is what got them stuck for life." Cole said. "Very few are in here for life from the Agency, just felons. The murders are stuck in here for life, yes."

"So, Nein's killed. He is now getting his punishment for that."

Cole watched as someone started to carve a word in the Agent's back. Blood bubbling up and pouring down the man's sides. Then that man was shoved to the side so a blind fold could be slipped over Sasha's eyes. They didn't want him to snitch later on if he happened to survive.

It was quick, it was ugly, Sasha knew in a situation like this it would have probably happen. But once it was done, Sasha was shaking. The young man laughing. Blea just shrugged, he didn't care actually either way.

"Well, now want to be covered by me instead of by those other men? You know as they get more riled up, less excited about this they will get madder they are in here." Sasha looked down the grate to the level right below him it seemed someone used the puddle of acetone to burn some papers they found, before shoving someone's face into the fire. Sasha wanted to vomit as he watched the man stop moving, he also was glad a part of him was focused on something besides pain.

"No." Sasha said, his voice rough from screaming. Blea blinked.

"Really? What the ever-loving fuck." The man growled. "Fine. That's how you want to play. Rather get fucked instead of helping me. Fine get fucked." Blea whistled.

"News flash. We have a Psychonaut up here and he is asking for it."

Silence. The people murmured among themselves some not caring, others deciding they had an effigy now. They had something to destroy like they imagined the agency destroying them.

The grating shook as people stormed up the stairs to get to the agent, Blea being pushed off and landing on the ground with a wet crack as his neck broke from the fall. Sasha heard them talking, about everything they were going to do to him. Some staring in shock at the sight before them, Sasha fucking Nein, the poster boy of the Agency , feet burned red , gross bruising, the signs of assault on him already.

Sasha felt another kick to his side, someone else bringing their foot down into his face. Sasha tasted blood. Sasha felt some of his teeth break as he spat out some along with some blood.

Sasha looked at the group around him. About two he knew, the other five he didn't. They all looked like they were presented a meal.

-

Sasha now couldn't help it, he was shaking, he felt tears coming. He was trying his best, trying to school himself. Even with the cloth over his eyes and feeling them going after him. He struggled to move, be less venerable. He heard the sneers from the prisoners as he moved to a sitting postion. Then the pain of one of them bringing the pole down onto his leg. He had this sort of pain before, he could ID it easily, a broken leg.

He wondered, if he just stopped responding if they would stop with him and move onto other things. Like animals with toys. Stop playing back and they would stop chewing. Focus on anything else.

Sasha decided to try and retreat inwards, to his mental landscape. To the starry sky with the flashes of color dancing across it. To the cube where everything was packed neatly in. Before the stench of his own smelling salts pulled him out once more.

"Where do you think you were going?" a man jeered. Sasha felt something loop around his throat and tugged tightly on it. "You're going to enjoy every second of whats done with you." He tugged again choking Sasha. Sasha reflexed to try and grab it, but all it did was tug his wrists tighter into the handcuffs, he felt blood pooling up around that.

"Ask me anything man. Want to know whats going to happen next? Our goal?"

"What time is it?"

"The fuck?" the man asked. "You are about to get fucked up more and you want to know the time? You trying to time yourself here? Its 1am." So he had been in here for about two hours then. Sasha felt a little bit of a flame near is side as he twitched away from it. Someone else chuckled.  
"He moves quickly when you do this."

"Of course he does, dumbass. He is being burned."


	15. Rights and Responsibilities

One of the prisoners stood just outside the door of the prison. There were agents outside of it waiting to jump in to take over. "We have hostages." The man said through his mask. "If you come in, we will kill them. " he wanted to stress this. "Right now, they are all alive, although some are injured. We are willing to talk if you're willing to listen."

"Okay, lets talk." Said the redheaded Agent, her ponytail blowing in her face from the nighttime winds. The prisoner nodded.

"You see, I want to talk to Truman Zanotto. We can wait for him to get out here. There is no rush for anyone but you."

"And if we get the Grand Head here?" The woman asked back.

"We will provide pictures of the hostages to prove they are alive if you give us a camera."

The woman bit her lip as she called the Grand Head.

-

Truman knew he was easily accesable by agents of a certain rank, but tonight it was crazy. So when his phone rang again, he saw the zip code and already knew what it had to do with. He also knew the Agent.

"Yes?" He asked, feeling older than what he was.

"The Prisoners demand to talk to you directly." She said, "in response, they will prove their hostages are alive." Truman knew what he had to do. They wanted to talk to him, fine. He stood up.

"Consider it done, Brandy." And with that he hung up to call Rose and to get on the Psychonaut jet. He wasn't lucky enough to be like Ford and have developed the skill to teleport.

-

Brandy TK'd the digital camera to the prisoner who opened it up to check it for anything to make it into a weapon against them before walking in. First stop the cell with Blair and Naraja.

The next stop, to three guards tied up in the cafeteria. They were in worse shape than the first two. Unconscious, and pinned to the table with metal spikes that were supposed to be used for setting up tents over the prisoner gardens if they were allowed to go outside.

One was locked into a psycho-isolation cell, screaming as he was cut off from all sensation.

And finally, blindfolded and bloody- Sasha Nein.

He threw the camera at the Agents letting one catch it with their mind before going over the pictures on the phone.

"Cole is missing from these pictures- do you think he escaped?" Brandy mumbled Then she realized something. How did they get Sasha Nein?

Then she remembered he went missing earlier today and handed the camera to a coworker.

"Send these pictures to Truman and contact Ince in Texas. Let him know we found Nein." Things just had to go from bad to worse didn't they?

-

Che smirked as he and Raz dropped the letter off. "Well, time to get you home." He said as his phone started ringing. Che really had a hatred for cell phones, he wasn't allowed to escape the properties of work even when he was out doing it.

"A fucking riot?" He spat out, "I'll meet you at the jet. I have Raz with me though." Raz perked up at that. "And I know his Aunt isn't in town right now, she decided to go south while he was supposed to be in Texas to pick up some stuff from her storage shed." Raz frowned at that.

"Nice of you to tell me that, Agent Morales. A plus work." Raz deadpanned.

Che glared at Raz when the boy said that.

"So what are we supposed to do?" the man asked his boss.

"Simple, I come with you two to the riot." Raz said easily, he wondered what kind of riot it was. He imagined young adults with bandanas over their faces throwing Molotov cocktails at over-priced clothing shops in protest of fur or sweatshops or people trying to pair pink with yellow or something.

"Alright, I will drop him off with Rose and Lili. Bye."

Raz did not like that, yeah he would be happy to see Lili, but when there was need for Psychonauts, he should be out in the field saving people. Not…playing house with his girlfriend and his girlfriend's mom.

The boy looked at the Agent driving the truck.

"Sooo where is the riot at?" he asked trying to be smooth. Che knew the boy was going to fish for information no matter what, and as an Agent, Raz did deserve to know about it.

"The Penn. They have hostages and are demanding to speak to Truman. So, Agents my rank and higher are being called to it in case things go sour."

"Okay, so hostages are in there, go invisible and sneak in, fix the bad guys, save the hostages and get out." In short what he did at Thorny Towers during the summer.

"While that would work in theory, we don't know whats going on inside of there, who has their abilities back from lack of medication and if they set up any traps." Che turned down the highway and frowned. "Raz, I am going to be honest. This job isn't glorious. We can't do things like that, we have to protect ourselves and the hostages. If that means standing outside the gate waiting to go in, then so be it we do it."

-

Rose Zanotto was a beautiful woman, long hair that waved past her waist, large eyes and a small nose. She was in her bathrobe right now as Raz walked in. She understood the situation, and was happy to help. Raz looked up the stairs and saw Lili standing by a large potted plant and he had a plan. Civilian or not, Lili was star material and he knew it. He ran up the stairs and pulled Lili behind the plant.

"I pray they aren't making out." Rose said as she watched them, finding it very disturbing that so many psychic children thought about it.

-

"Lili. A riot is going down." Raz said in a hushed tone to his girlfriend. "You know what that means?"

Before Raz came into the picture, it meant to her that she would try and see what was going on real-time via her father and clairvoyance. But now, thanks to Raz, she knew what it meant. They were going to go into the action.

"Well, that would be great, but how we're going to get there." She let her tone drawl out, making it seem like she didn't care when in fact she did. She- like Raz- was imagining a riot like those on TV.

"Well, lets see. We're psychic and can levitate and go invisible. I say we truck surf Che and then get on the jet. He is heading out with your dad."

Lili nodded at that. Now this seemed like a plan.

Che stepped out of his truck as he saw the Psychonaut Jet ready to go, various agents were around it talking amongst themselves, the looks on their faces deadly serious and focused on other things. A few of them nodded at Che as Lili and Raz carefully followed the man, trying to eavesdrop but still make it on the jet so they could go help out at the riot. Raz stopped a madman before, he knew what he was doing. The children carefully left Che and got onto the jet.

The Psychonauts had jets that they only used in emergencies; after all, a random jet zooming about while glorious was also like a flying target for anyone who knew what it looked like. Lili and Raz found a spot out of the way to stand on as Lili looked at her father. His brows were knitted tightly together, a scowl on his face, golden eyes focused on a computer screen, the air about him didn't make her think of her father. It made her think of a stranger, she had never seen her father like that before, but then again she had seen the look on various agents.

It was times like this when it shocked her that her dad was a Psychonaut too, and not just some figure head in an office with pictures and files about. Raz prodded her in the side and she turned to glare at her invisible boyfriend as the rest of the agents started to pile in to the jet.

Once they were seated, the plane took off and Truman let out a breath it seemed like he was holding as he stood up.

"As you all were told, there is a riot going down at Jude's." Truman started off as he turned on the TV showing a map on the screen. It was of the prison. There were 7 red dots on the screen and a picture of a guard in the corner.

"Our current situation is that we have lost control of Jude's and they have 7 hostages, plus one missing guard." Raz nodded, focusing on the image. "We have proof the 7 are alive."

He clicked his mouse to show the four pictures on the screen. Raz felt sick as Lili gasped, luckily her gasp was hidden by the murmers of the crowd.

One picture, two guards in a cell beaten up, another one was of a few guards pinned to the table, the one of a guard in the isolation cell. And finally Sasha.

"I will discuss exchanging the hostages over. Our goal is to get the guards in the cafeteria first, followed by the one in the Isolation Unit, then the ones in the cell."

Raz was shaking his head. The Agent s nodded at the plan, they knew that Sasha would have to come last. "I will try and do one demand per person. Any ideas from record what they might want?"

A mousey looking agent spoke up first. "There has been a lot of complaints about how the Penn is set up, the prisoners say the division amongst the psychics are causing tensions." And that was said in a most polite way compared to the records of people saying something like: I am going to fucking break those mindjumpers faces.

Truman nodded as he wrote it down, that would be a relatively easy request to get done although it would have to be done in a way to keep people from teaming up to try and take over the prison once more. The group talked about how they would handle this, what the demands might be, what were they willing to bend at for whom.

Raz felt anger bubbling, not once had they mention an exchange for Sasha. Just the guards.

He then blew his own cover as he spoke up. "But what about Sasha?!" He was shaking, he couldn't take his eyes off the image on the screen. His hero, covered in blood, wounds on him, face black and blue from brusing. Che stood up, as Truman stared at Raz.

It wasn't in shock of 'Oh look, a kid snuck into our top secret meeting.'

It was anger. "Who told you that you were invited to this meeting?" The Grand head said, his voice level. Raz could feel the pressure in the room building up. He had seen that look before but in a much younger face who was trying to burn a dentist this past summer.

"No one, but when I heard-"

"Agent Aquato, stop while you're ahead." When Truman allowed Raz to become an Agent with Ford's approval, he accepted he would have to treat Raz his rank. "As of this moment you are on Suspension."

"You can't do that!" Lili said finally dropping her own invisibility. Truman looked at her.

"Yes I can." Truman said, "And you're in trouble too." There wasn't a pause in that, he looked back at Raz. "You two have been caught spying on a top secret meeting. I could have you stripped of your job, instead, as of this moment- you have proven yourself not to be ready for the rank assigned to you recently at the suggestion of Agent Nein. You are back on mailroom duty."

Raz just stood there his mouth agape. There was no warnings, no test runs, just being told. Oleander got adminstraive leave for wanting to take over the world with brain-powered tanks and he just got demoted?!

Raz felt hot tears in the corners of his eyes a Truman turned to Lili.

"And you are not allowed on Psychonaut property until you have shown the maturity to be on it."

Lili bristled, maturity? They allowed Bobby at Whispering Rock- just because she-

Truman knew what she was thinking. "As a civilian, you broke the law. You could be tried for this if I chose to. But I will leave it to a vote for those present. You both have broken the law tonight in a severe manner. Agent Morales, put them in the back. We can't turn around to deal with this now."

Che stood up as he escorted the two to the back of the plane. It was as nice as the front but separated for those having meetings. Lili and Raz were shaking. They had made a mistake.


	16. Ghosts of New Mexico Pt 1

When Milla thought of New Mexico, she thought of ghosts. New Mexico had a slow tired air about it, the only energy popping up around Halloween where there would be shrines for the Day of the Dead, littered with candies and flowers and treats for those who had moved on. Christmas made her tried out here too, where little candles would be placed in paper bags with sand to light the path for the Christ Child. Then there would be Easter, when those up north would beat themselves as one person played Christ. New Mexico made her think of ghosts. New Mexico, she remembered an Agent saying one time to her, gave off the air of where people came to die, that one could imagine ghosts whisping across the landscape waiting to move up to the heavens above.

The desert landscape, shadows dancing off of plateaus and the starry sky made her feel alone. Terribly, terribly alone. Sasha always enjoyed the stars; it was why his mind was littered with them. She was still listening to the static that occasionally had blips of other words mixed in. She needed the noise. She needed to know there was something else out there right now besides her and the car and a riot in one direction and Sasha in the other. She thanked God that Razputin was home safe, that he would be under Che's watch and that he didn't have to become aware of the nasty side of the Psychonauts just yet. A small comfort in a world such like this.

Many years ago, she never would have thought a man would have consumed so much of her mind, where she knew she tainted some of her own memories with feelings she had for him. A look that could or could not have been there, a brush of the hand. It made her heart hurt, actually. A man, who she loved and was willing to toss away for her job.

And now, she knew she would have to be willing to make her heart more. She put her foot on the gas even harder, the stars becoming less important in the sky as she focused forward on the dark road. Focusing on preventing lives lost tonight, even if that meant that her partner would join the whisps, and have a shrine with golden flowers and coffee and some gummies on it. 

-

Demoted. Back to mailroom duty. Truman leaving Sasha to the wolves until the last. The blindfold and the blood dripping down Sasha's chin onto a white undershirt that was nothing more than rags. Raz shivered.

Sasha will get out of it, he always does except for that one time back with the brains and all-but that was a fluke! Maybe he was hit on the head. That made sense! Maybe Sasha was just unconscious right now! Maybe he knew Truman was going to wait until the last moment to get him out of there so the others could be safe and Sasha could take down the leader while he was in there and Sasha will just explain that wasn't it awesome that Raz was able to sneak past all these super high ranking Psychonauts with Lili and no one noticed!

He was shaking though, not really noticing the hot tears going down his face now as he looked across at Lili.  
"Sorry I got you in trouble." He said after a few moments. Lili looked over at him, her lips pursed together as she looked over Raz.

"Tch, I've mastered Whispering Rock." She said, trying to cover up her own hurt that now she was pretty much not allowed inside her father's job anymore, where she wanted to work one day. "This means I get the summer to stay at home and practice without having to do 'Basic Braining.'" She looked down at the pleather of the seats, picking at it, now trying to actively avoid listening to the meeting in there.

"You said Sasha wasn't missing." She said after a few heavy moments.

"Che-Agent Morales- told me that and I believed him." Raz spoke softly. Bringing the butt of his hands up to his eyes to try and straighten himself out. "Why would he lie?"

"The information was confidential, dork." She said. That only made Raz bristle a little.

"If it were confidential, why did you know about it?!" He barked at her, he remember what Che said and what Truman said and he was understandably upset. He lost his chance of doing something amazing. He was stuck in this room.

"I listened in; he is my Dad after all! He shouldn't hide everything from everyone! You, Milla, Dad, everyone, always hiding things- I'm a psychic! I have a right to know what is going on."

"No, you don't!" Raz felt come pouring from his mouth, a part of him felt like a traitor, especially considering they planned together to come here. Considering they came here together and got in trouble together and he was treating her like a child that he had always been treated like. But there was a difference here. He should have known better, he was an agent after all and she was a civilian. It hurt so much. "You don't have the title of Psychonaut, you are not an agent-" He wished she never told him about Sasha missing now, that he didn't let his own curiosity about the riot get to him, that he and Lili made the plan to come here. He had regrets about tonight. His heart felt raw. "You're just a camper!"

Lili shoved him at that as he stumbled back into the wall. He looked at her and her eyes were shut tight, he could tell there were tears forming in the corners of her eyes at that comment. That he didn't see her as his equal- he only saw her as a camper. His girlfriend of a camper that needed to be saved and not allowed into the action now. "Just shut up!" she shouted back, her voice cracking. "You think you're amazing because you're a stupid Psychonaut! Well, this would have been the most action you'd ever get to see again! You're just some baby paper-pusher!"

"At least I am doing something more than spying!" Raz spat back. "And it isn't even real spying you- you just want to pretend that it's all pretty glamoury things." Instead of those guards pinned to a table, instead of those in the cell or whimpering. That heroes didn't end up looking like that/

-

Truman sighed as he thought about Raz's words, what about Sasha. Truman was going to try his best to get Sasha out of there, but he also knew it was policy and Sasha would tell him to wait to get him out. Get the other's out first, to go for the ones who didn't sign up for this. When Truman also knew that they did, they signed on to be guards and that meant that in case of riots, they might get hurt. That they needed to do their best to protect themselves, but secure the prison first.

But he helped trained Sasha. The image of the bloodied and hurt man did not match up with the image of the stoic German of just a few days ago, or the steely eyed teen who just came over to the States as Ford's project because Ford saw some fight in him that he needed to direct. He really wanted to be Sasha's friend.

Sometimes, he wondered if this is why Sasha distanced himself off, that in case of a situation like this- a bias won't appear. How he seemed to keep most people at arm's length except for those few who got in close with him somehow. Truman took a deep breath as he took a drink of water. Now was not the time to ponder these things. Now was the time to figure out a plan to make sure he didn't fail, and that blood would not end up on his hands tonight. He took a deep breath.

Focus. Listen to your own mind; think about what you will give up to get those people out. He won't offer the prisoners forgiveness, but if they wish to be transferred to other facilities, he could do that. He tried to think of anything else these people might want him for.

A corner of his mind was replaying those images over and over again. Of those guards. Of his agent. Of the child he stripped of rank, of the girl he barked at. Right now, those last two were of least importance to him. And it hurt him a little to realize it.

Lili would have to suffer hurt feelings. She needed to understand the position she is in. That he is in. That Raz is in. That this isn't a game with some dues ex machine willing and ready to pop out. If one of those hostages die tonight, he had failed. Their lives were more important than Lili's hurt feelings.

-

Sasha breathed, and in the pain induced hallucinations of his mind he tried to image the pain leaving his body. Whispy and ghost like to join the sands of New Mexico, to scar the land this place sat on. He one time heard that there were ghosts formed my flash moments of extreme emotion, he wondered if many years from now when the prison is closed down, if a person would walk into here one night and see this flashbulb of memory, of a man chained to a door breathing and bleeding, blindfolded and the blindfold soaking with tears he didn't know he cried in an attempt to maintain an illusion of control. He wondered if he had reached a state of Zen this way for a brief gruesome moment. He knew things were happening to him, but the sensation of it stopped into one consistent bit of pain-he could no longer feel his fingernails, but he didn't know if it was because someone ripped them out, or if it was because of the pressure on his nerves from the handcuffs.

He felt cold on the inside, but not on the outside. He knew something mentally inside of him cracked, and that he was in a state of shock. He didn't like being overly aware of the state of his mental landscape right now. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the pain-induced Zen of being awake but being clocked out. Like when he was brainless, but instead of TVs and hacky sacks, he was thinking about the ghost he felt like. How he could tell they were still hurting him, yet basic disassociation made it where it just didn't register. Like he was an observer who couldn't see the TV of his life in another room and was just eavesdropping from reading a book to keep up to date with the storyline.

Sasha thought he could feel himself spread his fingers, taste the tastes in his mouth, feel the texture of tooth and shards and blood and spit in his mouth weighing heavy and iron like on his tongue. He felt his head lull to the side. He felt himself talk.

"What time is it?" He said to no one in particular. He wanted to time how long he had been in here.

"It's still 1am." The prisoner lied as he traced a knife over Sasha's skin, letting the blood bead up to the surface. He was writing a crude epithet on the man. Glad his work could not be disrupted by a sudden deep breath, used to the short and shallow breaths the man had been doing to survive.

"I see, they do say time runs faster in your mind." Sasha slurred out, his enunciation slurred, due to the mouth damage of the night. "But I never realized how quickly it must run in my own mind in comparison to others. They usually sat 6 seconds per hour."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." The man said listening to the man ramble. It was obvious he had snapped a little, and God knows once the crowd comes back around, he was going to snap a little more. Well, not skin off his ass.

Cole made a choice right then, as Levi was deadly silent. "I'm going to make sure Nein lives." He said he knew prisoners had a beef with him and damn it he deserved it. He tossed weaker convicts in with the big ones hoping to beat them into submission- not to give them the skills to use their teeth and their claws, not to be able to turn them into the monsters he had seen this night.

Levi peered out of the corner of his eye at Cole. "Why?" he said. "Why protect him?"

"Because, I swore I would protect people from the people inside of here, and- and I just left him here. We all know that they all are going to take any slice from him they want and…and I could not sleep if he died."

Levi shook his head, "You stayed awake at night anyways, trying to figure out how to make ends meet for your family. You know what they say; crying in a Mercedes is much nicer than crying on your bike."

Cole kept his back straight. "And when I answer to God-"

"Spoiler: God isn't real." Levi sing-songed. Levi glared at him. "No, really, I have a buddy I trust on this a lot more than I would trust you on it. He has been around the block a few more times than you have an all. "

Cole worried his lip for a moment. "Whatever, God- no God. I couldn't live with myself for this; I know my family wouldn't either. My guilt would rub off on them. And they don't deserve that."

Levi looked back at a TV screen and his eyes widened. "Fuck." He murmured as Cole cocked his head, that wasn't the screen Sasha was on. Did the Psychonauts finally grow some balls and decide to just nuke the place?

No, it was just a man standing there. He had a forehead that was too wide and eyebrows too bushy. He wore jewelry which prisoners were not allowed. He wore a white t-shirt and some orange prison pants and he was staring right at the camera.

"How the fuck did C get in here." Levi panicked as he took a deep breath trying to calm down. Obviously this 'C' fellow was someone Levi did not want in here. "How about this- if you can get him out, you can lock Nein up and I won't give a fuck what happens from there- 'aight? Aight."

Cole felt himself nod; already deciding he would try and make it to Nein first before dealing with this 'C' fellow. He shut the door behind him as he heard Levi lock it. Well, he was going to either live or die, and he would rather do both as a decent human being.

Levi called him 'C' as a term of friendship. But Caesar knew better. He knew Levi did it to distance himself from the library of names he had under his belt. It was something he had to, for all of his previous names he has had, all previous lives he was aware during. The new name with that one last name. 'Ehsas' to feel, to realize. An ironic name in his own mind, considering the sheer number of times he felt himself no longer feel. The times when he no longer realized who he was. All of it mixed up in his head, except for now as he stared up at the camera knowing Levi was watching him.

'Are you quite done?' he mouthed as with a wave of his hand he psychically pushed some prisoners into cells any which-a-way, not caring if they were packed in too tight or if he crammed them in where their heads would burst open against the cement walls. They could tear each other apart in there. He needed to find his partner in crime, and all the noise made it hard to sense the familiar aura. A few men who didn't make it into the cells were staring at him, fear in their eyes. Someone had their abilities here in the cage- he could tell they were wrecking their memories to try and remember him to make sure he had no bones to pick against them.

Well, Levi liked a show, and so did he. He quietly moved onto a table, a chunk of the metal had been torched off and from what he could tell, used to behead a man in the corner.

"Everyone, you're acting like animals and that is just fine with me. But, I am looking for the control room- you know, where a guard could watch everything. I have a friend in there, so if you could so kindly direct me, I will be on my way."

A prisoner shouted off a location and pointed in a direction. That was easy. He let the prison gates fly open once more as they stepped out as he walked down the hall in a calm manner, watching this. He found it oddly beautiful, that others were taking out so much on each other; they didn't use this as a time to realize they could be an army.

Perhaps he could remind Levi what he should be doing.

-

The Jet was landing, and the sun was rising, the prison being brightly washed by the rays of sunlight as Brandy kept her arms crossed, watching the building for anything. Trying to keep track of murders by windows or people dosing up heavily on medication, she hated it. She turned as Truman stepped out along with his group of men and women. More backup, the Grand Head was planning something. She stood with her back ramrod straight as she tried to feel more in control than what she did. She knew she was chewing on her lip and forced herself to stop, even though there was lipstick on her teeth and she was cold and hungry.

Truman just simply took the megaphone from her hand without a single word and spoke into it.

"I am Truman Zanotto, Grand Head of the Psychonauts since 1996. You have asked to speak with me, and I am here to talk with you for the release of the hostages."

Brandy could sense frustration bubbling off of the Grand Head and she wondered if it was because of the situation. How she let it get so terribly out of control. A blue skinned agent walked over to her and held out his hand.

"Hello, I am Agent Che Morales."

"Pleasure, I am Agent Brandy Walters." She said, "The head daytime guard of this place." Che nodded, this meant that she should know this place inside and outside. She was also dead tired from the looks of it. She was supposed to be here at 10 am and she has been here sense 2 trying to work with the prisoners for the hostages. From what Che could remember, the Head Guards had 12 hour shifts usually and that they had tried to get a third one on so they could lessen the workload a little, but that idea was nixed by her upper-up due to cost restraints.

She turned her head as a prisoner spoke.

"Alright Truman, Here is what we want before we talk, some real food, pool tables and skin mags."

Brandy felt like they will be heading nowhere fast suddenly.


	17. Talks

When Milla arrived at the Prison, she did not realize how cold the air was. Nor did she realize the number of eyes on her. She only saw smoke billowing up from the building like a cloud from a memory. She had to focus, she was Agent Milla Vodello, one of the highest ranking Agents of the Psychonauts. She didn't care her shoes would get stain with sand or that thorns would end up in her nice white boots. She didn't care her breath smelt like coffee and she was sure she missed some crumbs on her dressed from the bagel she ate on the road. Still, others would note, she looked a hell of a lot better than everyone else there. Including the Agent that walked up to her. Che.

"Milla, you are no longer needed for this mission. Razputin and Lili are on the Jet. Please take them back home." His tone was even but she flat out ignored him. She knew she was needed and she needed a damned good reason to leave. If the children are on the Jet they are safe. She wouldn't drop the world for them if they are safe right now. And once she found out just WHY they wanted her to leave would be when she would find out WHY those children were even here, especially considering she put Raz on a plane out to New York and she knows for a fact that even if Mr. Morales was an immature man-child at times, he wouldn't risk one of them.

She took a deep breath as she walked over to Truman who was waiting for a response to his counter offer to the prisoners for talking. "Truman, why did Che tell me to go home." She said this with a steady tone.

"Because, we found Sasha." She felt her heart stop, her eyes widen, her skin pale at that. They found Sasha- where- how? "He is in the prison, he is being held hostage. I understand you will want to be here, but I worry about any actions that might happen considering you are-" he heard rumors- "…Friends with Sasha."

She shook her head. "My priority is not Sasha." It hurt to say it aloud. It was amazing the things you could say inside of your head that meant nothing until you felt it slip pass your lips, as if it were making the words real and solid. Something she could never take back. "My priority is to assisit you to get the Guards out and chaos controlled here at the prison. Sasha is my friend." The one who made her heart ache. "But, you know as well that when I am working, I am working. Sasha or not. He is the last person we will have to worry about." The wind brushed past her, like a hand on her shoulder, like the devil in his coldest depths from God reminding her he listened in on that promise.

Truman nodded, "Fine then, but you're not going to be allowed to move close to anything related to the current going ons inside that prison unless I say so." She nodded as he said that. His golden eyes focused forward as she turned to investigate the children. For some reason, she knew it didn't hit her just yet that Sasha was in there. She flexed her fingers as she brushed past some agents and headed onto the Jet. There was a meeting going on and the backdoor shut. She was now going to find out about the children.

When she opened the door and saw the two sitting there on opposite sides of the jet, she saw red.

"Lili, Razputin. What are you two doing here?" she said in her most normal voice. For Raz, at least, he wished she was yelling at them right now because he knew he flat out betrayed her trust. Forget anyone else's, he knew no one wanted to hurt Milla's. He felt like being here in New Mexico instead of New York was doing that, right as she stared at him.

"Raz, darling, what are you doing here?" she asked as Lili moved to speak first, Milla quickly pointed at the couch. Lili knew that as Millanese for 'Get off the dancefloor, Darling. Right now, someone else is getting the spotlight.' Or in harsher words, 'Sit down, shut up.' She silently moved to sit as Raz stood.

"Well, uh, you see, I heard about some hostages and I knew as an expert in kidnap-"

"Were you asked to come along?" she asked smoothly, her voice saccharine. Very sweet, but the tone was very fake now. Her smile was tight on her face.

"Well, no-"

"Then why did you come along?" Raz dug his fingers into his the front of his pants. Suddenly feeling ten times smaller under her gaze.

"Because I wanted to help out." She nodded.

"I see, but you do know a lot of people want to help out right? And you're not trained nor were you asked to join in. What did Truman say."

"I was stripped back to mailroom duty until I learn where I stand." Raz said looking down at the ground.

"You got very lucky. If you were anyone else, I am sure he would have fired you on the spot. If I were your commanding agent, I would not have said anything." Sasha was the one who was supposed to keep an eye on the boy. She wondered what Sasha would say if he got out of that prison. She knew a lot of people in there hated him. "Now Lili. Your turn."

Lili stood up as Raz sat down, she dusted off her skirt. "I wanted to know what was going on and where Sasha was at." She said, again, it was harder to say this to Milla than to her father. She knew Milla honestly wanted to help them to grow. "Dad banned me from Psychonaut property until he decides. I know I could have gotten a lot worse, and I am sure I might still once this is over."

Milla nodded, "Of course. Now you two are going to stay in here. I have work to do."

"You're going to save Sasha right?" Raz asked, he knew if anyone could do it, Milla could. She shook her head.

"Sasha is our last priority, we will worry about the civilians first then Sasha. He understood that when he put someone behind bars that they would not want to invite him over for tea. Just like I know there are people in there who feel the same about myself, Che, Ford and even your father, Lili." She could tell their ideas of the job was being shaken a bit tonight. "If given the chance, they would happily kill us- and just that if we're lucky. They would want to go after family members, pets, friends – you name it just to get back at us. But, we have accepted that and promised to do everything in our power to prevent that. Lili, you coming here today was a slap in your father's face. If someone got out and recognized you- they would not take your brain. They would happily torture you in front of your father- and he would have to choose between you or the other's demands."

Lili shrinked back a little in the chair. "And Raz, you bringing Lili here is not being a good boyfriend. You put her in danger, what would you have done if that situation happened- she is not trained for this situation. Nor are you. You both acted not like an Agent and a Future Agent, but the children you are."

And that stung more than the stripped rank and the ban.

-

Sasha blindfold slip off his face finally as he blinked at the room around him. Sunlight was pouring in from broken windows, he could smell stale water and waste and fire and the sickly smell of burning flesh. He could see the gore. He could also see the gore on his own person as the current person kicked him one more time for good measure. For some reason, he never realized that this was his own body. He tried to stand but didn't have the energy to do such as task. He could hear a darker part of his mental self mock him. Another part telling him that he could do it and stand- maybe find someone willing to remove the handcuffs or at the very least provide him with some pants.

But he honestly doubted he would be shown such a mercy. He lost count of things, he started to blend faces and names, and the only thing he was sure of was that he still had all his fingers and toes, only because all 20 of the individual digits would send out pain whenever he tried to move them. He felt the man who had kicked him reach over and pull him up by his hair until he was standing. He couldn't stay standing. He wondered if he went deaf, he knew he had some head damage. He knew he was having issues remembering things too. He wanted to sleep so bad. He wanted to be left alone for 5 minutes. The sunlight told him it was at least 8 AM now. 7 hours.

'Come on Nein, pain is only in the body.' He heard his mental self shout out to him, looking to get him going again. Sasha wondered if he would get out of here. Maybe call his Aunt, apologize for not calling back as much as he should have. Maybe he would call his Dad and apologize for not talking for all these years and all it took was almost dying to be man enough to face him again. He never thought he would have regrets like this.

He didn't have the energy to talk, to fight any more. He wondered if that was a sign if he was just giving up, just consenting to anything they might do to him now because he knew his voice was raw and he knew that screaming and such wouldn't help him any.

Sasha hated feeling hopeless. Sasha hated feeling like he was a victim. He shut his eyes for a moment, and allowed to world to drop silent and black. When he opened them up again, the white light came back and it seemed his current punisher was lighting a cigarette. Sasha felt like he would kill for a cigarette now. The man said something to the German, and Sasha just felt his head lull to the side. He noticed needles and for a moment panicked he was going to die from an overdose.

But he felt a sad part of him said that would be too lucky.

-

Cole swallowed as he walked down the hall, he was in the orange jumpsuit of the prisoners, anything to blend in amidst the chaos, of people fighting and talking and fucking. He had a mission, go help Nein then go find this 'C' fellow. He remembered where he locked Sasha up at as he moved into the corridor.

"Hey. Hey buddy." A man with a thick New York accent shouted out. "You look familiar. Turn it around." He said as Cole decided to flat out ignore him, in any other circumstance he would have been more than happy to have a pissing contest with a prisoner. But he needed to focus.

"Hey Punk. I'm talking to you." The man said chasing after Cole and turning him around. "Oh shit, a screw is trying to escape." He laughed as he grabbed the Guard roughly. "Sorry , we can't let you out just yet. Ain't meal time and we said we would find everyone, and you fall right into our laps." Cole brought a hand up to his head to try and attempt a Psi-Blast, all the guards here were weak psychics, and unfortunately, he couldn't muster up the ability to blast the man into next week as he felt the man bring a fist across his jaw. Saying it hurt would be the most obvious thing to do, after all, Cole was not made for hand-to-hand or even mind-to-mind combat. He was made to be someone who would just do paperwork, and he would admit he took this job as a way to show he wasn't just a paperpusher.

"Don't worry. We got an unoccupied cage for you, along with someone to talk to." The prisoner said as he roughly dragged the Guard into the hall he had earlier took Sasha. He fought as he was brought to the upper level and saw the body of the man. The prisoner took his keys from him and threw him into the cell, jostling the Psychonaut agent as the door was slammed shut and locked.

Cole swore loudly at the prisoner who waved him off. "Keep on barking, Wolf-Ticket." He said as Cole looked down at Sasha who was breathing heavily. Seeing the wounds in person in comparison to on a camera was different. You could smell the blood and smoke and god knew what else.

"I'm sorry." Cole said to the man, "And I mean it, its personal. I really am sorry." He knew he couldn't do anything to get out of the cell, the cell walls were laced with the same material as a psychoisolation unit. "And- I don't want you to forgive me. And I bet you won't. I willingly sold you out, I set you up to get hurt."

Sasha turned his head slightly, one eye was swollen shut the other had the white dyed partially red from blood from who knows what injury. Blood was dried and caked around his mouth, he was more bloodied and bruised than not. Cole clenched his fists as he started to look around the cell for something- anything to help Sasha get out of here. There had to be something he could try and break the chain of the locks with. Anything.

He couldn't find any, it's not like he had a little kit stored in each cell that contained a plastic lid, toilet paper and a lighter so anyone could make a quick shank. "Just try and stay conscious, okay? We both know you have a head injury. " Sasha turned his head to look back at one of the high windows as he was trying to slow down his breathing.

Cole could find nothing, so instead he took off his shirt and soaked it in the little metal sink. "Okay, I can't free you, but I can clean you up a little. We don't want those wounds to get infected." He knew it was way too little, way too late. The water would be either too hot or too cold, and hot would probably be best. He ringed it out in the sink and slunk down so he could be close. He carefully moved so he could start wiping at Sasha's face- and Sasha tried to move away.

"What- I'm trying to help you." Cole growled, "Stay still."

Sasha murmered something along the lines of: "Stop it." But the guard couldn't tell too well due to the mouth injuries.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"No. Evidence." Evidence? For what? They both knew that the prisoners will probably make a demand for not being sentenced for anything done during the riot, and if anything- Cole knew he would be punished for working with Levi on this. He would end up in here again, but in the jumpsuit and in a cell like this one.

"Then let me clean anywhere else." Try and make the man more comfortable, wiping blood from his brow, cleaning along the carvings on his body, stopping and starting as he came upon something that could be used, a bit of hair dried on to the man, maybe some spit or someone else's blood.

Careful. Careful. Careful as another prisoner came up and Sasha told Cole to back away. And Cole wondered if he should try and shout- but that would make the prisoner be more likely to hurt Sasha- and turn on him. He decided, it would be safest for both of them just to ignore the man.

-

Levi was watching Caesar move through the crowds on the camera. He moved easily through them, like he had been in this situation a thousand times before, like he was just a droplet of water moving through a river. It was amazing actually, when others couldn't even make it across the hall without tripping on a body or a person who was sitting there and a fight breaking out. He saw that the other man was almost to where he was hiding out. Cole was locked up behind Nein.

And if C was angry, Levi would rather trade places. The door unlocked to the other man's will as he stepped in, locking the door behind him.

"Really?" Caesar asked, his tone level. "Really? You just had to get the attention of the entire agency on us, didn't you? You always had a flair for dramatics." He sighed as he sat down in the chair. "So, just why did you want to do this, and for once, please show the better of your two faces and tell the truth."

Levi felt his stomach knot up, he wanted to vomit. "I wanted to watch people turn against each other. I knew they would. I also wanted to watch Nein get hurt."

"I'm glad you put your dick back in your pants before I came in then." The blond said watching the violence and hedonism in action on the camera screens. "Really, why are you so obsessed? Did one of them shun you for a comic book signature."

"No. I just don't like them." He admitted. C shook his head. "I have more reasons to hate them but you don't see me wasting my time on trying to make them suffer. I have a goal that would help everyone including them. I know I will get my rewards when they look at me and go: You were right, we were wrong." He waved his hand in the air a little. "Of course I would tell them it was alright and they can work for a better future and all."

"Don't lie to me, C. I know you hate Nein too. Why?" Levi scowled, watching Cole sit in the back of the cell he was in like an injured dog.

"Don't you research your jerk off material, Jimmy?" Caesar asked."Sasha was born to Non-Psychics, ran away from home, tried to hide his abilities while picking fights on the street before Cruller came and put a muzzle on him. He is a perfect example of what I want people to stop doing, stop brainwashing kids to be ashamed of themselves, submissive to the current world ruled by those who don't understand most of the populace. A little guttersnipe of a psychic who just came from no where."

Levi wasn't paying attention and Caesar knew it. He just knew he had the same desire for dramatics as his partner in crime and wanted to see what will happen.

-

When Luka came home from the airport, she put Sasha's suitcase in the foyer of her home. Her parents were still asleep but didn't mind she was out this late, she was after all, an adult. She kicked of her shoes-digging her toes into the squishy carpet, hung up her scarf and headed to her bathroom. Her comics were stacked neatly ontop of the commode as she started to run her bath water.

She had a long day and wanted to soak, maybe when Sasha came home, she would tell him about meeting Raz. Maybe, she might let Sasha borrow her favorite issue for his own fan theories. Maybe she could ask Milla how she took care of such long hair.

Once she was done soaking, she dried off , changed into a nice pair of pajamas and headed to her bedroom. It was covered in junk, a pathway was cleared from her door to her bed with toys and books and papers tossed every-which-a-way. She should check her email, but she was dead tired.

So, she just threw herself into bed. She curled up tightly and dozed off. She knew she was going to sleep in. She was just like millions of others across the nation right now.


	18. The Breaking Point

Of course, except for a few. Some people standing outside of a prison, people rioting inside, some hiding away, others looking up at a ceiling praying they make it out, one who just stopped hoping for anything but maybe a whisp of justice for what all had been done to him, and a woman in a jet talking to two kids.

Milla looked up at the roof of the jet. "You two are going to stay in here, I do not care what either of you say about this situation. Right now, I only care about getting those guards out and ideally Sasha too." She shut her eyes, she smelled the smoke, she could hear the faint memory of children begging for her and the solid sound of Sasha simply saying her name. She opened her eyes again, to focus on the clean colors of the room. Raz and Lili murmered a promise to stay still as she walked to the other part of the jet to start flipping through files, to see what all she could do to help right now. She heard Truman outside.

"We can deliver you food products, but not a customized meal, and I will have some adult litature delivered inside. I cannot provide the pool tables, simply because that would risk my men's lives." Truman said as the prisoner chortled.

"I'm surprised you're willing to cough up everything else though. Fine then, the food better be sealed up nice and tight, don't want it laced with any more shit in our systems."

Truman nodded, "Everything will be delivered soon, perhaps we can start talking about the hostages."

"Sure, sure. We have our demands, and we found Cole. He was dressed up like one of us trying to sneak out like the little rat he is." The prisoner was filthy, Truman could not see anything clean about him. His language, his posture, the grime from the riot, knowing that he was happily holding people hostage for what- some skin mags? He had a burning hatred right now that he knew he was going to have to keep on a tight leash. He knew he could storm the place, but how many people would die?

Those who were just sitting it out until calm could be restored, the guards, his agent. "Is he alright?" Truman asked, his tone perfectly leveled and calm, as if they were not talking about anything more different then the weather or how beautiful the sunrise was.

"Of course, he is locked up with Nein."

Milla had to keep herself from perking up at the mention of her partner's name as she flipped through the maps of the property, possible entrances, what to do in case of prisoner surrender, what to do it Truman said screw it all and storm in. She needed to focus. She felt a plan bubble in the back of her mind too. One that was crazy and that Sasha would frown at before going over how it could work with the right tuning and one that Ford would chuckle and tell her to go at it because he knew she knew what she was doing.

She wondered if Ford knew about this- no. He probably didn't if he did, he probably would have found a giant rock of psytanium and teleported here and figured out everything. He was probably yelling at a squirrel about how the hamburgers were still being made.

She listened to Truman.

"Lets start with the most injured. I doubt you all want one of the guards to die, I want to work with you all. Work with me, okay?" Truman was being friendly, the prisoner responded from his spot onto of the building.

"That would be the three guards in the cafeteria. Okay, how about this- we don't want to be held responsible for the riot. No extra punishments or anything like that." Truman knew that would come, the man would want to cover his and his buddies asses. But he knew there could be things he could get other people on in there. So, forgiving the riot would be easy. "AND." Of course there would be an 'and' there never wasn't an 'and'. "AND, myself and a few others want to get out of this prison. We know there are a few other ones for psychics. Just let us go there."  
"Well, I would have to match the prisons up with what would be best for each of you then, who is it all?" Milla grabbed her pen so she could jolt down names and pull up the files for Truman. She knew what he was thinking, they would get sent to other prisons, yes, but the other ones would make this one seem like the place for Pound Puppies. The ones where you were isolated all the time and if you stepped out of your cell, you had two guards to either side and one behind you with a gun pointed at the back of your skull. She tied her hair back as the names were called out.

-

Levi looked at Caesar as they heard the names get called out. "Do you think we should go now?" he asked as Caesar shook his head.

"No, I think there is a long way to go before we should have to worry about leaving, remember they have a big prize in here and they are probably going to save that one for last."

The brunette scowled a little, his brows knitting close together as he turned on the fan to get some air circulating in the tight little room. Caesar didn't seem to mind one way or another, he didn't care the TVs everywhere in the room was making him sweat like a pig. He just seemed interested in all the chaos.

"And, remember, this is only one gang talking. Not them all, once they find out whats going on, they will probably stir the pot some more. Divide up the hostages so they could get stuff they want to. We both know they are not going to ask for freedom or forgiveness for all of this or what they have done. They will aim to make this spot a little vacation for life ran on my money."

Levi scowled as they watched the riot go on.

-

Raz paced back and forth, back and forth. He hated this. He wanted to do something, he got over being upset over the loss of his rank and how Milla looked at him when she guilted him. He had to do something.

He shut his eyes and saw the images from inside the prison again. The blood, the gore, it made him scared. He opened them, he faced the brain tank and the meat circus- what- what made this so much more different? Was it because this was pure physical with psychics involved, that there were laws involved about how they could act? He felt sick.

"Quit pacing. It's not going to help anything." Lili said, digging her fingers into her skirt. She was doing her own thinking, but instead of the entire situation- of the Psychonauts. Too much secrecy, they told them to be proud of themselves but hide. Be seen and not heard. "We're grounded because we're kids."

Raz felt himself tighten his fists more at that. Just kids, they couldn't do anything because they weren't trained to do this. Well, he could have been trained if they didn't spend all that stupid time on mailroom duty, actually got people doing things instead of growing stagnate letting themselves all feel sorry for themselves because they were not out there investigating stupid things so when a big thing came along no one could do anything. Truman had enough power out there to plow everything in their way down, go save the hostages and still have time to go grab a nip of lunch someplace.

Instead, they were making deals with people who didn't deserve them! Brainwashers and manipulators, just flat out criminals. Oleander got no punishment because he got fixed, they could have fixed these people and- like locked up their abilities for ever where no one could ever get hurt again. Raz let out a silent scream at that. "This is stupid! They are wasting everyone's time and they have no proof anyone is going to make it out of there alive. They are just playing games. Your father doesn't even care about one of his workers! And I thought that Milla- Milla would be on our side on this. Instead she doesn't care!"

Milla heard that and rested her head against the table as she was given more intelligence from people observing the prison to work through so they could make a plan of attack incase everything went to hell. Raz- she knew that they just didn't understand and that it was hard having so much potential and it being limited by something they didn't quite understand. She circled a point on the map where they could storm in, and she noticed areas others were avoiding prisoner wise.

They didn't understand that in the time they would get to the prisoners, someone could easily slit their throats or break a neck. They were in a standoff.

She heard noise outside as she moved to see what it was, the three guards from the cafeteria was being brought out along with some people who had enough of the chaos on the inside. An exodus of prisoners who just wanted to finish up the day. Maybe, just maybe there was some hope that this would be over soon and people were burning themselves out.

-

Caesar stood up when the clock hit noon. "I am going to make my exit now." He said with a smile. "And I would suggest you do too. This show is almost over, I counted at least 15 bodies and I would rather not be blamed for all of this. But if you could, before you leave, make a show happen." He chuckled as he unlocked the door. "I know you're great at sneaking around, its that I know I have to make a stand here."

Levi looked at him. "A stand and an exit? I am curious." Caesar just smiled.

"Trust me, I've done it like this before. I can easily do it again." And with that he left the room, leaving Levi to destroy the computers in the room so there would be no evidence behind. Levi shifted his looks a little, it was a simple illusion. He looked like a prisoner as he started to sprint out.

He 'bumped' into a prisoner. "Did you hear? The agency had enough, this place is going down. Kill the guards, let them fucking know that we ain't the only ones going down." The man nodded as Levi started to run before going invisible, and levitating to a safe distance. His truck was crawling with Psychonauts, and he was going to miss it. But hey, time to really make this a show.

He focused on the cab of the truck, imagining the air and the heat of an explosion. Might as well do what C wanted right?

The cab exploded, sending shrapnel and debris flying every which a way. That was only a mild sideshow for what was happening in the exercise yard through.

-

Blair and Naraja were shivering as they were brought out into the exercise yard. The Prisoners heard the little worm that Levi planted, and they were much too high on their own emotions to think about it. To realize they were about to really set off the real powder keg of everything going on.

Truman watched as the two men were thrown to their knees, their eyes wide and hands tied behind their back. The sand scraping their knees, naked as the day they were born.

"We are through with your lies, Zanotto!" One of the prisoners shouted, across the yard. "We know you're going to attack us. Well, guess what! If we're going down, these bastards are going down with us."

Milla moved to see what was happening, now in a spot where she could see. The guards were terrified, and for good reason, because before Truman could say a word, a shovel blade was forced into Blair's neck.

A prisoner lifted Sasha up as the German heard a set of handcuffs fall to the ground.

"Was going to save this for last. Let the fucker suffer some before he died, but looks like I am going to have to rush it." Sasha heard Cole shout, he turned his head as he saw another prisoner toss a can of paint thinner into the cell before tossing a match in, lighting the room- and whatever was in it ablaze. Sasha took a shallow breath, he guessed he was going to die next.

Which, at this moment, didn't seem like too bad an idea and it made him feel sick about how he was thinking that. He heard of people who were kidnapped and tortured for much longer, they survived. He heard the time shouted once or twice and judging by the sunlight it was probably around noon. That meant only 11 hours in.

11 hours and he has had enough. The prisoner took him to the empty gym and hung him from where a punching bag used to be. He knew they were going to do a few more rounds of- anything to him. He tried to remember who these people were as he got ready for more of the same. He shut his eyes and tried to keep track of everything that happened to him in here and by whom. And it was all melding into one, all the injuries- Blea somehow became the mental mascot for those.

For the other things, that first young man.

He wondered if his body could take these last few rounds, or if he could simply go into shock and die.

He hated feeling regret for things he didn't do. He knew that he had given up on his pride and dignity, and that he wouldn't see anyone again.

He wouldn't apologize to his Dad.  
Talk to his Aunt.  
See Raz became a great agent.  
See Lili burn her own path.  
See Milla again.

He knew these tears were really his this last time.

-

The moment the guard fell, Truman had enough. He gave a sign as the Agent rushed forward. One person dying as one too many to the Grand Head as the prisoners in the yard was subdued.

Milla quite literally flew past the crowd, she was going to find Sasha now. IF she found anyone else, she would take them out- but she knew she needed Sasha. She needed her partner to be safe. She darted past Che as she headed to the kitchen entrance of the prison. She had the map in her mind where Sasha was, at her best she knew it would take five minutes to get to where he was.

-

"Really, you three are a bunch of animals." Ceasar said as he entered the gym. "Nein looks like he has been through hell and back. He probably can't even register what you all are doing to him any more." He brushed his hair back as he looked at the three men. "You three dominated a broken man, bravo. Quite proud of you. Now, please he is going to be my ticket out of here."

"And what makes you think we're going to let him go?" one of the men said from behind Sasha, slowly backing away from the man to move to the front.

Caesar said nothing as the three men's heads exploded and their bodies dropped lifelessly to the ground. "I didn't ask for you to let him go." He said looking at the bodies before looking at Sasha.

He smiled, this was quite beautiful in his mind. But then again, people would also say he was quite insane also. Not that he cared, just like anyone missing a few bolts felt. Sasha's body was stretched out, wounds flayed open, blood and pus and god knows what else on the German. His feet blisterd, with his toes barely touching the ground , he could Sasha wouldn't be waling any time in the near future. He also had to admire how Sasha was somehow running on enough willpower to force his weight onto one arm more than the other, trying to care for a broken limb in his own subconscious way.

"Sasha, Sasha, Sasha." Caesar said, "Broken and naked in front of me. Luckily, I already know I am better than you so I don't have to do anything else. But I will help you if you help me."

Sasha wondered if this man was going to kill him now, he couldn't recognize him although he felt like he should.

Caesar looked Sasha in the eyes and his smile became even wider. "All you have to do is let me take you to the church here at the prison." He roughly let his psi-fists rip apart the handcuffs so Sasha dropped to the ground. "Get dressed, I know you want to. And walk like you have some pride okay."

Sasha didn't have the energy to argue as he took the pants and a shirt from a corpse and carefully got dressed. He tried to stand but felt a grinding in his legs as he fell back onto the ground. The other man laughed as he TK'd Sasha up.

"Alright now. Lets go."


	19. Is the end, is the beginning

Truman stepped back as the others went forward. The few agents that were here were easily subduing the prisoners, just as quickly as the agent could reach them, the prisoner was on the ground with his hands being forced into plastic cuffs and taken to be made to sit. Others were rushing to the explosion that just happened to try and control the flames. Truman saw Che trying to expand the flames up- not so they could spread more, but so they could fade away quicker. He saw Milla run inside, he knew what she was after and wasn't going to hold it against her. He stepped into the Jet to see about the two on the inside. One was pacing a hole, the other was sitting and with her head pointedly turned away from him. He was glad Milla called Rose when she arrived because it slipped his mind fully. He knew he would be stuck here for a while, along with most of the people here. He would send Che back to New York with the Jet and the kids.

Milla wanted to vomit. The stench was putrid, it felt like blood was an inch deep here when she knew it was just water, but the bodies and the blood splatter didn't help convince her that everything was not as it seemed as she entered the hall she knew Sasha was at. When she levitated up to the second level, she saw the burnt body and room. She could tell the man wasn't Sasha, but still, she felt tears prickle up at the corners of her eyes, burning- it was the worse way to go.

She reached for her walkie and spoke into it. "They moved Sasha." She saw the remains of the scene, she also saw his belt and smelling salts. She picked up the small glass vial and focused on it.

She saw a bright room and a cross.

He was in the chapel.

She headed right there.

-

Sasha was too tired to move as he slumped against the back of the chair. He had to listen to the man ramble on about strength and his own bitterness for the Psychonaut agent.

"Tell me, Agent Nein, do you know what fear is?" The man's voice was soft yet sharp, like a lover who hated you and was only there to make you suffer. "You always seem so above everyone else- in a class of your by your lonesome. While most people are proud to bend a spoon, you want to bend a building. Who deemed it necessary for you of all people- some little guttersnipe of a psychic to come out of nowhere and destroy the proverbial wall that separates the powerful from the weak?"

He moved over to Sasha and draped an arm over his shoulders, Sasha didn't want to be touched any more, he felt bile rising in the back of his throat as he remembered the past 12 hours in the back of his mind. Everything that happened, other people's breath against his neck. He could see the world around him and it just didn't register to him. He felt sick and uneasy and knew whatever he said would have no effect against the man.

"Just what are you?" Caesar said. "I hate you so much, yet we keep on meeting each other. Look at me." He said to the German. Sasha did turn to look. Caesar smiled.

"It suddenly all makes sense to me. Maybe I shouldn't use you as my ticket to get out of here."

Sasha wanted to tell the man to go fuck off, but he just didn't have the energy, and he honestly doubt he could fully say the words with half of his teeth in another part of the prison and his jaw more screwed up than not. He didn't turn his head as he heard the doors slam open and Caesar stand up.

"Damn it- already?"

Sasha had the strangest sense of déjà vu at that, and he wasn't sure from where as he turned to look also.

Milla.

He would get to see her again, bright colors, hair tied back, eyes like fire as she glared at Caesar.

"Please hand over Agent Sasha Nein." She said as Caesar just shook his head. "I will warn you that due to the situation, if you do not surrender, I can and will use deadly force."

"I don't think I want too." He said, easily. "After all, we're in a church. I think we should all sit down and pray and then I will take him home with me to patch him up, or you know, cut him up, put him in my freezer to defrost and eat as needed. Whichever seems better at the time."

Milla flew forward, hand on the side of her head so she could send out a psychic blast. Caesar psy-punched her against the wall, ignoring Sasha as Milla sent her own punch back. She was aiming to knock him out and get Sasha freed. Caesar slammed her against the wall a few more times before he let her drop.

"Women." He said to Sasha as he turned his back to her.

And she simply just Psi-fisted him against the wall as she moved closer to Sasha. She didn't expect to have someone with their abilities active in here before she realized it.

"Caesar Ehsas." She growled, hating this entire situation and how everything became so muddled so quick.

"The One and Only, Miss Vodello." He laughed. "I am going to kill Nein now. I got the perfect view finally. I can watch his head splatter He'll thank me for it in his next life." He brought his hand up to his head, and very obviously got ready to send a psi-blast at Sasha. Milla had to make a choice right then.

She could drop Ehsas and go to protect Sasha- but she wouldn't make it in time. She wasn't faster than a speeding psi-blast, she could try to throw her psi-portal at him- but then again, a blast was quicker than that. She could force his hand away from his head- but that really didn't do anything, all the possibilities she saw happening ended up with someone dying. Herself, Sasha or Ehsas.

She knew she had to pick, so she decided- Sasha was going to live. So was she. So when Ehsas started to aim, she shot.

Too bad Milla was quicker as the last thing Caesar Ehsas saw was a flash of pink. The blast went directly to his chest, Milla could sense the rush of psychic energy leaving the man's body as he died. She wondered why this seemed familiar as she gently lowered the man's body to the ground.

He was going to kill Sasha. Maybe he wanted it to go like this? She wondered for a brief moment before running over to Sasha.

"Sasha- Don't worry, you'll be alright now. I promise." She said weakly as she finally looked at him in person as she grabbed her walkie.

"I found Agent Nein, he was being held hostage. The perp is now deceased." She said easily. "Sasha needs medical attention ASAP. We're in the chapel."

-

Raz watched the chaos outside of the plane from the window as he heard Truman let out a sigh of relief. He carefully moved to the door and straightened up his back, he kept his expression schooled as he looked at the man.

"Grand Head Zanotto…?" he asked, voice soft. "Whats going on?"

Truman looked over at the back where Raz was and he knew where Lili was as he stood up and headed over to them. "Sasha has been rescued and he is alive but his condition is unknown." That made the two children's eyes widen, Lili stood as Raz had a large smile on his face.

"I knew he would make it!" Raz said, puffin out his chest as he moved past Truman. The Grand Head turned around.

"Get back to the back, Agent Aquato." He deadpanned, Raz was still in trouble- but he also knew that the boy was just that and wanted to see Sasha with his own eyes. The boy was obviously biting at the reign for it.

"You both can go see him later if he approves it." And Truman knew he would have to talk to Sasha about Raz's stunt. "But for now, you two back to staying out of the way."

And with that he headed out so he could go see the damage for himself. Once the man was out of the jet Raz whooped happily.

"Hear that Lili! Sasha's alive. Hes going to be okay!" he ran over to Lili and grabbed her hand and pulled her up. All his previous frustration gone at the idea. Hell, he would stay a mailroom boy until he was 18 if it meant Sasha would be alright. The best agent in the agency better live!

Lili looked at him, a bit shocked about how quickly his mood changed. She knew she was in a sour mood, but she tried to not think about Sasha. She tried to think about anything else in the world and feed her own frustration.

"Yeah, I heard it. I was only in the room when Dad told us." She said as Raz pulled her up from the couch and swung her about a little.

"Glad they did something! I thought Sasha was going to be gone." He admitted to his girlfriend. Lili scowled a little.

"You just told my dad you knew he was going to be okay." She couldn't let Raz change his story so quickly after all.

"Well, I just couldn't seem like a Hopeless Sod you know."

Lili just stared at Raz, her golden eyes focusing on his face as she shook her head. "Dork."

HERE ENDS PART ONE. Yup, part one. It doesn't mean I am going to be moving the rest of the fic, but I decided not to drag this chapter on too long before I head on to the next part. So, I figured I would chill her and explain some of my thoughts of various thingies in this fic and why I did it.

Thing one: The cubic buttload of OCs. Yes, I know I have a ton of them. Its that I feel like for a story like this using what we had in Psychonauts wouldn't have helped pushed the story along. I do know in the next part the campers will come out of the woodwork and we will get to see a lot of the game cast again. So, I am excited about that.

Thing two: Raz not being SUPER. I adore Raz, I really do. I adore him and Lili, but I have noticed in a lot of fics they seem to outshine everything. I feel like these two are amazing for their age and adults do forget that, but that the adults have earned their places so to speak, they pulled the late nights and missing holidays with the family and forgetting birthdays and coming home and just crashing on the couch to watch mindless dribble while in the back of their minds they have their jobs boiling. I know for this fic, I really wanted Raz and Lili to start figuring themselves out more than 'I WANNA BE A PSYCHONAUT'. Raz is learning that in the adult world, there are rules and regulations that he has to follow. While Lili is trying to figure out her own place in the world (ie: Why does Raz have the heart of a Psychonaut to get him to be an agent and I don't?) kind of dealio. During this fic, I want to see these two grow into their paws.

Thing Three: Sasha and Milla. I the recent chapters, I feel like I went OOC a lot, but then I also reasoned to myself: Both are in situations that will force out things they may not realize or want to do. For Sasha, he was having to look in past the controls of his life and saw that he has things he still feels like he needs to do- besides knowledge (not that he is going to stop asking 'Why?' any time soon). While Milla had to become more stoic and serious, because she was on a mission. Not a glamorous adventure to parties and foreign lands like she prefers , but on one of those things where you have to do things you regret/don't approve on for the greater good. These two both have a lot of growing to do, I have seen people compare them to a working brain (logic vrs emotions) and such, and they are having to grow into each other's areas so to speak.

Thing Four: The big bad and the summery. The big bad is still in the fic! They are still at work for setting things up for Psychics to take over. And in the next part will be the subtle hints of them out there working. But this second part is using that as a backdrop because I am going to use the next part to be more about development on personal levels and such.

Thing Five: I imagine Truman looking like Tim Schafer, but more groomed and with Lili's coloring. And maybe less crazy in the eye. IDKY I had to say that.

So! Thank you for sticking with me this far everyone. I look at my stats and am surprised by who all has read my fic and it makes me excited, I have seen Saint Lucia and Russia and Cyprus and New Zealand and so many other beautiful lands and I get so excited imagining my fic being read by fellow fans there! I love you all and want to thank you all.


	20. Family

Sasha remembered noise and pain and the warmth of a body against him. When he opened his eyes, he saw a soft tan color and warm sunlight coming into the room. He saw a single chair and a stack of magazines. He tried to move but felt too heavy. He didn't have the energy to panic. He tried to move his fingers as he tried to figure out what was going on. The TV was on, local news in a soft hum. There were some basketball players dressed in red and silver. University of New Mexico. So that meant he must be at UNMH most likely. He had a cast on his arm and it seemed some people had already taken it upon themselves to sign it. Raz, Che, Milla…

A nurse walked in. "Good morning, Sasha. Are you feeling better today?"

Sasha tried to open his mouth to talk and failed. But he could make a noise that sounded like a 'Huh' escape as she frowned a little. "Lets see how you're doing then. Your jaw is wired shut, so please do your best with responding." She then asked him questions such as his name and birthday and other details, a few things he got wrong but she kept on smiling.

"its alright, the PTA is getting a lot better. And you do have your recording you made too. Want me to play them?" she asked as she slowly moved about him- which he was thankful for. He didn't want to worry about sudden movements as she pulled out a digital recorder- the one that he would use for notes back home and pressed play.

It was him talking of course. But it was odd, he didn't remember recording any of it. Hello, today is the fourth, Aunt Bernie came in yesterday. Milla had to leave with everyone because work build up. Aunt Bernie said she would be back in the morning. Your nurse is Lucy Ramos. She is nice and polite. You have Post-Traumatic Amnesia of the Anterograde version. Most likely it came from the pipe across the head. But who knows, there is also a journal for personal notes that would be helpful, and it is right underneath your pillow.

Don't be worried about feeling numb, it's the medication. The doctors said everything is healing well and you should be able to leave in about a week. Aunt Bernie said she will be here until you can be on your own again so to speak. She only knows you were injured on a mission.

Sasha listened to himself ramble on the recorder before turning it off. So that would explain why he couldn't remember…being here. He flexed the fingers on his non-injured hand as he rubbed some sleep out of his eyes. Nurse Ramos just smiled at him.

"Well, " she said. "For breakfast we have mostly smoothies for you- well for pretty much every meal we have through a straw. I'm sorry about that. Your jaw was injured so we did have to wire it shut for a while. But, you can tell me if you want hot or cold. I know you don't like plain warm foods and-" she started to ramble, obviously unsure of what to do. What could she say after all? Sorry you're in a hospital and your Aunt is here to baby you? Sasha peered out his window, he could see the UNM campus across the street, there were some trees developing greenery and a few students with large backpacks waiting at the bus stop. It was early spring, and from what he could remember the…incident happened in mid winter.

A woman entered his room. She had chin length blonde hair and a square jaw, she was also a green shade like he was. He could recognize her anywhere. His Aunt Bernie, his father's sister with no kids of her own. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Good morning, Little Bee." She said in German, Sasha facepalming at that nickname. She wondered when she pulled it out again. He was a grown man after all. She moved to sit next to him and talk at him as Lucy just smiled dumbly, she did not know a lick of German obviously and his Aunt knew enough English to watch British television shows with subtitles. He also knew by her tone, she was trying to lay on the sweeter tone for his own benefit. Like when his father would get sad when everyone else would be happy so she would try and make up for it. He was glad for whatever in his system was suppressing his abilities now, because back then it would be confusing and he was sure now- now it would just be painful for him. "I had a good morning so far. Have you eaten yet? I did, and I went to this little restaurant that had sweet rolls and I brought one. Maybe they could blend it up for you to have, you are too skinny and I know its only going to get worse with your jaw. But I'll make sure to plump you up, all the men in the family usually have muscle and here you are just a little beanpole."

Sasha knew she was probably excited that his mouth was wired shut so he could not tell her to please take a moment to breathe and let someone else get a word in. He bet the reason why his father never talked much was because during his and Bernie's childhood, she probably spent all her time talking at him. Sasha stretched the fingers out on his good hand again. "Also, I talked to your papa last night."

That made Sasha look at her. His Dad.

"And he wanted to check up on you . He says you should take a break and come back to Germany for a little while." Sasha looked down at the blanket and looked at the stars on his pajamas that his Aunt must have picked out for him. "Just…get away from everything."

He could tell she knew more of the details about what happened than what he would have liked her to know. He knew she probably flipped through his files and googled words she didn't know on her cellphone so she could figure out just what was wrong with her nephew. He didn't want to read the files. He didn't want to do anything besides sit here and wait to feel better before going back to work. He also wanted to take a long hot shower, but he knew with his current condition, he would be better off with a sponge bath.

He took a breath and it still hurt. He took a few moments before saying it.

"It would be nice to see him again." It would be nice, like ripping off a bandage. He needed to explain things, apologize, he needed to tell him why he ran away. Bernie was staring at him intently and sighed.

"He misses you, your boss told him about your job. And- he doesn't care if you're psychic or a magician or whatever. He was scared he was truly going to lose you before he could see you again."

If he wanted to see him again, why did he never call him? Or contact him. Aunt Bernie had been in contact with him since he was 12 and had just ran away, but she just protected him from afar, not asking why when he would send a letter asking for a few marks or tell him to come home when he said he had a job at a factory and it was good as long as he kept his head low and just worked at meeting numbers. She would only ask for a picture of him a season. So she could watch him grow.

She moved to brush his hair out of his eyes. "Little Bee, why don't you just come back to Germany and stay? You can live with me, and I wouldn't make you have to go out and work again. You earned your rest many times over. But if you wanted to work, I wouldn't stop you. You always liked being busy."

Sasha felt guilty as for a moment it sounded really tempting.

To just run away again.

No, he couldn't. But, he couldn't lay here with a head full of confusion and memories trying to claw at him from the back of his mind, like a torn in a jacket that he kept on brushing up against.

"Maybe- if I get too tired of here. Just on a vacation, I could stay with you or in a hostel. " he thought about it for a moment then said no. He- felt a bit nervous at the idea of staying in a large room with a bunch of other people in it. "No. I will stay with you. Just for a little while, then get back to work after summer time, because I want to go back to the camp for a while." Sasha said to himself mostly, trying to form a plan that involved him just being able to not hurt and just relax again.

"The camp?" She asked as Sasha nodded, the nurse coming in with a smoothie that was a pale purple color and hurried out again.

"Yes, I…do research there, and help kids learn how to use their abilities. Its out in the middle of nowhere up in Colorado."

Bernie nodded as she listened to Sasha talk.

-

Milla unlocked the door to Sasha's apartment as she stepped in to see how it was, there was a fine layer of dust over everything as she went to go grab a dust cloth and just focused on trying to make everything presentable again. She felt sick, naturally. She was tired and her heart hurt. During her time out in New Mexico, waiting for the doctors to give the okay for Sasha to go home, she would watch his mood change. How one day he would be friendly and talking about something he read and the next how he couldn't remember being so cheerful and stuck in those 12 hours mentally, refusing to talk to anyone about it and just wanting to watch the most brainless thing they could find on TV.

He was hurting and his memory wasn't allowing him to deal with it. She already had a talk with Truman about how if Sasha chose to come back to work how he would be pulled off field missions and be pure paperwork missions- not as a punishment, but because they wouldn't how he would react if ever put into a similar situation again- or what would set Sasha off.

She remembered one time when for a brief moment she and Sasha talked about what happened. She got out the lemon-smelling furniture polish and started to scrub at Sasha's table. She needed hard manual labor to get the thoughts out of her skull.

She needed to get the image of Sasha sitting there in bed, face bruised, talking through a closed mouth about how he felt like he was wearing a sign on him that said he was pathetic as he would keep his eyes focused up on some cartoon that she would normally see at the summer camp up there. She worked her arms, trying to get everything off, the memory of Sasha sitting there, the bloodied man in the chapel, Ehsas' blood that was still on her mind and on her hands. How easily no one cared that she killed a man that night because it was for the greater good. It was part of the job, but everytime. Every single time it hurt her to think about. That night was hell for various people.

"Milla…" Raz said as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere, he wasn't in uniform. Since his scolding, he had started to wear a more relaxed uniform. Milla didn't know if it was because he was still upset over his demotion or if it was because he was growing comfortable as an Agent and took the scolding as a part of having a job and thusly moving on from it. She knew the boy had been stopping by here to pick up Sasha's mail and drop it off on his table. "Need some help?" He questioned walking in. It felt wrong to him to just run in. Perhaps because the owner of it was not here.

"I mean, I am sure Sasha wants to come home to a clean home- I can do his laundry if you want to dust. I hate dusting. I don't see why people dust some of the places they do." He was trying to lighten the mood some. Trying to see Milla with a smile on her face instead of the constant sad look. It was no secret how she felt about Sasha and he knew if something happened to Lili like that- he would probably want to go burn everyone who hurt her. But…

But he had been spending his time learning the rules and bylaws and regulations of the agency, and he knew that there would be nothing he could do considering it would be mostly hearsay.

And how Sasha was refusing to talk about it- how he was trying to forget it. He remember talking with Sasha and how Sasha simply told Raz that when he got a partner, stick by them. Raz padded across the apartment to find the laundry basket. For some reason, this was odd to him. The more he got to know Sasha the more and more shocking it became to him.

That his hero was human. How when a few days ago he came into the apartment to get rid of spoiled or about to be spoiled foods how he would see things like restaurant receipts and rolled up bags of sweets. Chips and dip, microwaved meals. Just like anyone else on the face of the planet would have.

Perhaps he just imagined Sasha to always have the most refined meals. To always have squeaky clean uniforms and just still being a golden shining hero. Instead of…so human. It was hard to accept, to separate relatity from his comics as he grabbed the basket and moved to where the dryer was. Raz peeked around to watch Milla still scrubbing at the table. He wondered what he could say.

"Milla. How are you?" it was a simple question and Milla just blinked, she was surprised she was even asked it. Most people thought she was alright because Sasha was alive and recovering in New Mexico drinking smoothies through a straw through the hole in his mouth where he used to have teeth.

"I'm okay darling." She said, she didn't want to worry Raz, but Raz frowned. He knew she wasn't.

"Oh, I see. Because I was feeling sad and thought you would feel the same. I guess I am a bit odd that way." He knew how to get her, and that was by being a kid. Milla blinked some not seeing the boy's ploy. She knew he was a flirt, but she would forget what a cunning little devil he could be at times. Milla looked at him, a sad look across her face as she stopped at the table.

"Oh baby." She said, switching into her 'Momma Milla' voice, standing up and walking to him across the small studio. "Its alright to be sad about this. After all, a lot did happen really quickly. Its not like one knew all these bad things were going to happen to everyone so quickly. "

Raz nodded, he knew Milla just need to talk it out somehow, even if her role was being a comforter to someone else. He knew it helped her because if someone felt the same as she did, and she told them- and they told her right back- he knew that helped her. He had seen Milla and Sasha do that dance many times before, especially at the hospital when she was upset about his memory and Sasha was too. It felt raw to Raz still. But it was scabbing over, right?

"Well, I feel like I should've noticed something was up. Hindsight is 20/20 right. It was just all to fally-into-placey and all. And now Sasha is over in New Mexico by himself." Raz knew he was going to try and help Milla, and he knew he just couldn't jump into her mind there. Then it hit him. "Hey- about Sasha's memory and his issues and stuff, why don't we just jump in and fix them? Like I did for the Thorny Towers folks."

Milla shook her head. "Well, while that would be great to do, we just can't simply do that. We prefer Agents having a chance to work through the issues themselves, because it is easy to become dependent. Plus, sometimes for some issues, it can make things worse if everything is tangled up. Like for Sasha- I know you were in the bathroom listening in on his Doctor talk to Lili's papa." She scolded a little. Raz smiled some.

"No one told me I couldn't listen to it. And because Sasha is still my mentor because he hasn't signed off on my demotion- thus him surrendering his mentorship of me, I am allowed to know about his state of mental health- like he and you can with Ford. And this is said in the handbook for internships ." Raz was so glad he did go through and start reading the rules now. Milla blinked at that, a bit surprised to see thee boy had done that. He learned from the incident a while back. "So, please continue Agent Vodello."

Milla took a breath before going on. "Sasha has his PTA, has shown signs of PTSD and depression. So, with the PTA, if he wakes up one morning and everything is fixed, he will think that he doesn't have to learn how to sort through those sorts of issues- so if something comes undone in his mind that helps keep him 'healed' how would he deal with it then?"

Raz thought about it, and then suddenly worried about the people from Thorny Towers- what if something else entices El Odio? What if a thought gets planted in Boyd's head about aliens? Or someone beats Fred too many times? He frowned, why have the ability to fix people's minds if you have to worry about it all falling apart later? He chewed on his bottom lip as those thoughts went through his mind. Did he help set them up for failure somehow?

Milla noticed the odd silence from the boy. "Darling?"

"What about everyone from Thorny Towers?" he asked after a few more moments of mulling, and to Milla he looked his age. Eyes wide, concern lacing his voice softly. She moved to hug him.

"You know the Agency wouldn't leave you in the cold with that, we follow up with them often. If it looks like they might fall back, we move in to help them ASAP." Which was why the Surviving Jonas brother was often checked on too. To ensure that suddenly he doesn't decide a great idea would be to try and take over the world in the name of his brother. "But remember, the agent who did the case can't do the after work. Morceau gets followed up on, the campers do, even you do when you get your monthly evaluation."

Raz stopped for a moment at that- when did he get checked up on? Everyone gets pulled aside once a month to find out how they're doing at work. Then it hit him, that's how everyone got checked up on. Look for the signs, Oleander was a fluke, which was why brain-scans moved from being yearly to bi-yearly. To prevent such incidents from happening again.

He took a breath of relief. He didn't fail those people. He just put them into the system, and they didn't want Agents to be left in the dark if something happened. "Milla, how do you really feel right now?"

She frowned, "I feel really sad right now. Sasha is my partner, I should know him well enough not to brush off something that seemed too odd." Much too odd. Much too different. Something that was too un-Sasha like such as a text saying he would be late. She should have started hunting him down right then and there. "I feel like I should have went with him- or kept him with me somehow. We're supposed to have each other's back and..I feel like I helped feed him to the lions."

She felt guilty, she felt herself speak softly to herself "When I had to choose between him or the prison when we didn't know he was there. I chose the prison. Because it was our job." That stung and shocked Raz more than anything else. Another nasty choice of this job. And one of his heroes- had to make that nasty choice. What would he do if he had to pick between two directions. It was easy to say: I WOULD SAVE THEM BOTH like one would see on the entrance tests to various jobs within the agency, trying to figure out where one would fit in the best.

But, what if they were not in the same building. What if he was at the 50 mile mark and both were 100 miles apart in either direction.

He would have to pick like Milla did. He wanted to help people, he wanted to save the world. But, did that mean saving the world mean he might have to pick a life? Where was the glamour of saving everyone?

He remembered Lili saying the Psychonauts were not what they used to be- was this what she was talking about?

-

The Psychonauts were not what they used to be, Lili thought as she sat by a bright green bush, listening to the roots talk to the buds that had yet to open, it sounded like a mother cooing to the child in her womb. The Psychonauts were no longer heroes, they were a business. She felt her rage bubble up inside of her, they didn't care about saving everyone- just.

Just the most people, the greater good of people. Whats one life to that of the chance of saving seven and still three of those died. Whats the point of teaching children to be proud they could be heroes if they quite literally put their minds to it, if the children would be forced to tell people they work for stocking vending machines so people do not freak out that someone could read minds or burn things with their minds.

They didn't ask for this, and maybe, somewhere deep inside of her, she agreed with parts of what the Jonas brothers stood for. Be proud of what you are, be the best you could be. Blossom. And if others get in your way, do what you're taught in PE with sports- aim to win. That means you might tackle someone, but that also means you don't rub their noses in it.

She thought about Sasha and that day she was allowed to go see him. The sterile smell of the hospital, Raz was in the day before and said Sasha was doing great. When she went in, he was silent. 

He was just watching some brainless TV and talking about stupid things. She knew as well as the next person that that prison went after him because the Agency put them there. That he was the agency's poster boy so he exemplied the heroics to the people and the bane for the bad guys. The same people who she always hears something mumbled along the lines of 'If they were not made to feel guilty' or 'If only they didn't have to deal with…' or some other excuse.

Well, what was it? Was the Agency supposed to help or to help punish? Well, that was stupid! This is stupid! That bush is stupid!

She stood up, feeling the hot prick of tears in her eyes. The Agency was a corperation. Psychics paid to do- whatever everyone else thought was best.

She started to head inside, opening up the sliding glass door and kicking off her shoes. Her father was lounging on the couch reading a newspaper as he looked up.

"Lili- I have been thinking." He started, putting the paper down as he moved to a sitting position.

"Yes?" She asked, fingers still digging into her gloved palms.

"I will allow you back on Agency property. I think you have learned your lesson, and a lot was going on…"

Lili felt her rage bubble and froth forth.

"I don't care!" She said, it coming out louder and sharper than what she wanted it too, but she didn't care. "Why would I want to go to that stupid camp so I can just sit there and talk to squirrels and wait a week for a hamburger?!"

Truman was a bit shocked at that as Lili kept on. "Why would I want to go to the HQ when everyone is just paperwork and wondering how to fake sympathy." She felt some of the tears start to fall. Truman could see it. She was frustrated obviously.

"Lili-"

"No, stop!" she slammed her barefoot down. "The Psychonauts no longer help people. You all are just sellouts for stupid comics." And with that she started to head upstairs to her room. Truman knew Lili needed a moment to calm down. A lot has happened after all, and yelling at her for being upset would only be counter productive.

Lili threw herself onto her bed, it was covered in papers and stuffed toys and comics. A lot of comics.

She looked at one, 'TRUE PSYCHIC TALES' it read on the cover. 'WATCH AS MILLA AND SASHA TAKE ON THE SENTIENT VOLCANO.' She remember being little and being awestruck her dad worked with her heroes. She remember talking to them about it, Milla said she didn't mind being in the comic because it was just harmless fun. Sasha would just blink for a moment and just think only people who worked at the Agency's kids read it. She knew Milla enjoyed the fans, and Sasha didn't care.

She knew that if they had a choice, Milla would be trying to make it big(ger) and trying to get her names up in lights. While Sasha…Sasha would just want to learn. She remembered Che asking Sasha why he never published his research and Sasha would just say it wasn't anything serious and just his own curiosity at work and if anyone was curious they could just come grab it from him.

One wanted to be a star, one just wanted to learn. Being a Psychonaut wasn't either of their first choices for careers. She knew they liked it, being able to help people and see the world.

But- why did they join it? Che joined because his twin joined the Hawaiian branch and didn't want to seem like a slacker. Her father joined because he wanted to be a 'hero'. Why did Milla and Sasha join? Milla could have dealt with her issues and gone on her merry way, Sasha could have learned his abilities and gone on his.

What made them stick around?

She looked at the glossy cover of the comic and set it aside.

Why did she want to be one for so long?

-

Milla didn't expect to see Luka at the grocery store, nor did she expect to see her flipping through a book of balloons that the store had. "Luka?" she asked as the girl turned around, she was out of her winter clothes, but she still had a collection of scarves on.

"Hullo Milla! How you doing? Want to go get a burger with me once I'm done here?" She knew normally Luka was slightly more tin-foiled hat about asking people out to eat with her. But something seemed off.

"Perhaps, what are you doing?" she said finally.

"Well, I have to find some balloons. Some for Saga-" she heard the girl mention this 'Saga' many times before. "And I want to get Sasha some 'Get Well' balloons, because really who doesn't like balloons."

She felt like she should tell Luka that Sasha would probably appreciate so frappachinos and magazines more, but she could also tell the girl was trying to be a good friend. "But he doesn't seem like the type of person who would want balloons floating around his hospital room. I feel bad for not visiting him, but really, I can't afford a flight out to NM. Maybe when he comes back I can visit him. It sure sucks that his car got totaled over in New Mexico. Maybe he didn't expect the roads to be icy because everything over there is Sand-sand-sand and Bugs Bunny."

Milla felt guilty about having to lie to Luka again, the girl really had a good heart. "Lets find something simple for him. But, I have to ask, is Saga your boyfriend? You never introduced us." She needed something to distract her for a moment. To let her mind be ruled by someone besides Sasha and Caesar Ehsas. Luka shook her head.

"No, Saga is my hero. Every year in April, I tend to leave something for him there. I am sure kids steal it or something, but I like to think I was as important to him as he is to me."

Milla stared at Luka. Beach? Maybe Luka almost drowned once or something and he saved her? But in April it was too cold to go play at the beach…

"Oh? A hero darling? I'm curious." Something, anything to distract herself. Luka smiled, "I'll tell you over lunch! My treat." The girl said writing a few notes and heading off to go buy some breakfast goods. Soon, the two were at a sandwich shop near the Agency.

The one that Milla and Sasha would go to often. Sasha would get the salad because it was hard to tamp-

Milla stopped that train of thought as Luka ordered french-fries and coke and Milla order something, it didn't quite register to her. Luka also waved Raz over when he came in for his own Lunch break.

"Yay, it's a party now." She said as Raz sat next to Milla and looked at the kids menu like he was having to pick between surf or turf.

"Okay. So. Saga." Luke said when Raz placed his order and Luka got her coke. "When I was little- I was kidnapped."

That made Raz and Milla just stare for a moment, paleing at that. How could Luka say it so easily. "I don't remember much besides a lady saying that she picked me to be her little girl and not being allowed out a lot. But one day, we went to the beach. And Saga appeared."

Luka smiled at that. "And there was a lot of noise and cops and lights and I hid behind a rock. But when it was all done, Saga came up to me and said he was going to take me back home to my Mom and Dad and I got into his car with him, people were patting him on the back and I never caught his real name because no one ever told it to me."

Raz held up a finger to ask a question. "So, why Saga?"

"Because people were calling him something that was two-syllables and ended with 'Ga' and that's the only thing I could think of."

Well, that made sense for Luka. "But I got into his car, and he put on the radio and he had some poptarts in his car and he gave me some and told me he just became a Papa so he couldn't stand the idea of anyone's little girl being missing when he couldn't stand being away from his own and he was glad that I could go back home to my Papa." She smiled at the thought.

"Well, because of everything, we never got his name and I have always wanted to thank him. So-"

Milla finished the sentence. "You thank him by leaving things at the beach." Luka bobbed her head up and down.

"So, maybe one day, I will see him there again and thank him in person. Because when I was little I was cold and upset and just wanted to be back home."

Raz listened to this.

He had a mission now. He had access to-

No, he didn't have the rank to do that.

He could ask around and see if the cop who helped Luka all those years ago was still in town. Pull a favor or two.

After all, he had his hands tied too much recently and he wanted to help people.

Maybe- just maybe- he could help Luka.


	21. Planning

Raz stared at Che intently, the blue man was pointedly ignoring Raz right now, still irritated over the entire Jet incident a while back, but Raz didn't care. He knew he could ask Milla, but Milla had too much on her plate at the moment and asking her to help him would only add more. The cuban's office was covered in posters from various music groups and pictures of his family. One of the wife, some of Che with a woman of similar coloration and age, both in Psychonauts uniforms. A picture of a horse.

"Agent Morales." Raz said finally. "I accept I screwed up, I almost got you in trouble and I have no right to ask you for your help. You were right, you are my superior. I should have treated you as not only your rank demands but as an adult. So, even if you do not want to help me, please take my apology into consideration." Raz kept his eyes focused on Che, be a man Razputin. Eye to eye. It takes more to admit you were wrong than it was to put the blame onto anything else.

Now this made Che peer up from his paperwork.

"If you do choose to help, this isn't for me at all. It's for someone who deserves to meet her hero, and for the man who saved her to see how she has grown up." Raz knew he would like to see how the Thorny Towers crew has changed in almost the year where he last saw them. So at the very least 10 years would be even more of a change. From being little to being an adult. "I feel like- I need to do this. She didn't seem to mind that she was kidnapped- she did mind that she never learned her hero's name. Maybe because its been so long so she had healed and stuff. But- at the very least- she needs to know the name. She leaves presents for him every year like hes Santa or something."

Che just kept on staring at that. "Fine." He said, Raz smiled. "But only on one condition."

Okay, he was used to this, everything came with some sort of one condition dealio or something. That is just how these things worked right? Raz bobbed his head up and down.

"You have to write me five pages on all the rules and laws you broke with Lili and what you would do if You were me and Truman. And how you think Sasha would feel about this when he- well, finds out and remembers."

Well, that was going to sting to write, but it would be a small price to pay. If Che was able to pull up a name and give it to him so he could get it to Luka- then it would be worth it.

"Okay, her name is Luka Briggs. She thinks her hero is named 'Saga' because well, because all she can remember of his name is 'Ga' and that is was two syllables. The location of where she was saved at was at Seaside Heights. You'll have this paper by the end of lunch."

Che blinked, "Luka- you mean the girl at the airport?"

Raz bobbed his head up and down. Che remembered how they sent off the tracking device together and when the Agent Che sent it to picked it up, the Agent called Che saying the device's battery died. So whomever planted it didn't know their tracking devices.

Now, this made Che more curious on the case, and if all else failed- he would give her the information himself. But the assignment he gave Raz- could an 11 year old even write something that long? Hell, if Raz could get it to him by Lunch, he would even give Raz the address of the cop.

Raz darted off as Che quickly went into the proper Database to find out what he could about the girl.

-

Milla watched as Raz darted past her, a large smile on his face from Che's office and she peered in. "Razputin seemed happy."

"Well, I'm happy to see you." Che said with a raised brow and a smile. Milla frowned.

"You have a wife." She deadpanned, she wasn't going to give in his flirtations with anything over the age of consent. He just waved it off.

"You never let me have any fun." He frowned leaning back a little. "So, what can I do for you?"

"What did you tell Raz? He looked happy when he left here, and I thought you were mad at him still."

Che shrugged a little. "Well, he told me about something he wanted to do . So I agreed to do it if he did something for me. Nothing illegal just some research for him to learn some more."

Milla frowned a little, "What did Raz want you to do?"

"Well, if he told me and not you, I figure there is a reason for it." Che deadpanned, it was nothing illegal, and besides, if Raz DIDN'T go to Milla despite the mutual friend, he had a reason for it. "So, I'm going to trust his judgment on this." He said easily, hell. It might be because anyone could tell Milla was probably a hair away from just taking some time off to relax- and people have told her to anyways. Go take some PTO, go down to Brazil and talk to your family in person and go to clubs or something. Anything. Just…be Milla again. Be really happy again.

Milla's frown deepened a little at that.

"Really?"

"Yes, trust me. I tried to make a deal that would teach the boy and maybe help him get back on his groove. Its been off with yours somewhere."

Milla scowled at that.

"See, See- you need to relax. Go relax. Let Mr. Morales here deal with his homework and I am sure you'll find out soon enough too."

Milla hated being brushed off as she turned and left the office as Che started to look into the girl's files.

-

Hours later, Lili came out of her room and headed down to her Dad's office. He was sitting on his ratty old couch, sitting in front of a small TV with a video game controller in his hands. "Don't you have work you're supposed to be doing?" she questioned as Truman shrugged a little. She heard Sonic loose his rings on the TV. "Like, stupid paperwork for your stupid job."

Truman frowned a little as he paused the game. "Lili. I am not always the Grand Head of the Agency." He breathed out. "And I know you're upset about it all. But, they way we are in the comics is a dramatization. We can only do so much."

She bit her lip some. "So? Why not push the limits."

"Because, no matter what, it will take time for people to understand. People are scared if things, like at school. If a teacher knew you could read minds, do you think she would trust you on tests?"

"She should-"

"She wouldn't. That's why we have to slowly work our ways up. It may seem counter-productive, but for everyone one person who ends up going to prison or getting punished for what they have done- despite the causes, there are 20 more who are learning to stop from going down that path. We can hope for the best. But it won't always be that way. Like your Momma. She isn't psychic, but she accepted me. So, when you were going to be born, she was worried."

Lili frowned as her dog padded into the room and jumped up onto the couch and tried to crawl onto Lili's lap like he was still a puppy. She pushed him away.

"She was worried because if you were like her, you might wonder why Daddy could do things you couldn't. Like float. I would have to hide my abilities until you were old enough to understand."

"But, I was born a psychic."

"Which was another worry, because- how would other kids treat you? Would they bully you if they found out? Would they treat you like you were a freak? I will admit, that's why I tried to keep you around Psychics more often than not. I mean, I have been letting you go to Whispering Rock since you were five. " At least he admitted it. "And maybe that is where I messed up. I drowned you in the glory of the agency and you just became more and more disenchanted about the good it does instead of the bad parts of it. " his own golden eyes focused at Sonic mid-jump. "So when the really ugly sides came out, it would go from being 'boring' to quite possibly being just counterproductive." He leaned back and looked at his daughter.

"More Psychics are being born every day, back when I was younger, we were about 1 percent of the world in all levels of psychic abilities. When Sasha and Milla were born, it was around 2. Guess what the percentage is for you?"

"I don't know? Three percent?" After all, it was about a point per 10 years there.

"Nope, try five percent. We think it is because people are becoming more aware of their abilities- or perhaps it is the food and the hormones in it. But see, that's including those people who might hear the stray thought occasionally or maybe have a bout of poltergeist activity in their house and it is just all their psychic energy burning up in one go. At our level, the percentage is even smaller. Whispering Rock has all the children we were able to find across the world. And that is us actively looking for them. Most of the Agents made themselves known somehow via trouble. The Prisoners made themselves known that way too. So we think the real percentage is a lot higher. We're trying to find people before they get into trouble."

Before the Orphanage burned down from a young pyrokentic who was scared she was abandoned again and one of the caretakers learning her own abilities by them being shocked out of hiding. From the boy getting into fights and thinking he was insane and handling his 'insanity' by drowning it out by work and isolation.

"We try, Lili. Its just hard to balance people learning and people accepting and people growing on their own."

Lili thought about the comics, she knew they were a way to reach out in their own way. To give kids their hero to try and become. Don't burn down a building, burn a campfire at Whispering Rock!

"But sometimes, it just seems a lot easier to relax and forget about it, right?"

He wanted to forget right now, he knew everyone was dealing with their own guilt and sadnesses. And he shouldn't pour it out onto other people. Sasha. Blair. Cole. The Prisoners who died.

He stood up. "You play Sonic. I'm going to go get something to eat. Lets- just not think for a bit."

And maybe for a little while, he could just forget he was Grand Head of the Psychonauts, and just be him.

-

Sasha woke up, and saw the color tan. Outside the window was some adults with large backpacks at a bus stop and on the TV was a logo with a wolf head in silver with a cherry background. It was almost night time.

He vaguely remembered the day that just happened as his Aunt walked in with a travel mug. "You know Sasha, these hospitals are too stuffy with the food they give you." She said happily ."So, I went out and found a cheap blender and decided to make you something good for dinner. I don't care if the doctors say certain foods, but everything you have been eating has been just pure mush. You deserve more than mush. "

She handed Sasha the thermos and he took a sip from it. Fladesuppe. He hadn't had that in years. A simple meal of a crepe like pancake cut into beef soup. It was warm and the recipe was one he hadn't had since he was little. It made him think of shoe polish and listening to the TV playing shows from the other side of Germany. When all he wanted to do was try and figure out how to make shoes quickly and why heard noise all the time and he would shut his eyes and see stars and adored them so much because they felt like home.

Not what he was doing now, recovering in a hospital with half his teeth missing, his jaw wired shut and feeling down right weak. Feeling like half a man. It was a taste of his homeland. He loved America. But he would often miss his home back there.

If he died in that prison, would they have buried him here, or sent him back there. Would he be in the grave yard here, with a funeral fit for an officer of the law like so many agents before him, or his body burry him next to his mother's bones?

He never specified, because well, he never thought it would be an issue. Something reserved for people besides him. He was aware that one day he would die- but he always imagined it amongst dusty tomes typing out research.

"Sasha?" his Aunt interrupted his train of thought, perhaps she could tell it was going into dark places.

"I'm sorry." He said back, hating how muffled his voice was. "The soup is delicious. It is something I needed." Needed to rip open a festering wound inside of him. He wondered how many of those were going to open up here. Bernie just smiled and reached for his bad hand.

"I am going to go with you to New York. I hope you don't mind, Your boss said if I wanted to, he could find me a place near there so I could be close by."

Truman offered that kindness, when an Agent was unable to work and a family member had come out to help them, he would cover their home and board until the Agent was well enough to be fully independent again.

He knew it was his memory probably that made Turman offer it out to Bernie, and Sasha knew nothing he could say would change the woman's mind. A part of him was thankful another part- felt more helpless at the idea. That he needed his Aunt to drop her life back home to mother her nephew.

"You can stay at mine if you want." He sighed, he knew she would feel more comfortable with him nearby and besides- it might show her he was appreciative of her. That he loved her despite often never calling her back unless he felt the urge to do so. And maybe, just maybe, he wanted to feel just a bit pathetic for a little while. Just sleep in and stare at the ceiling and not worry about paperwork or anything outside of his apartment.

Just be at home, and Milla would visit. And his Aunt would be there so Milla didn't have to worry about him.

"I know you like being alone, so maybe we can try it out for a week. Because you might just want me out after the first day." She laughed to herself.

"No..I think it might be good. It might help keep me from wallowing in self-pity."

"There is nothing wrong with that, Bee." She started, the blonde pushing back a strand of her own hair behind her ear. "You have been through a lot. When someone gets hurt, they deserve some time to be sad and hate everything. Its normal. You just don't want it to consume your life where you forget whats important and what is going on now."

Like his father. If his father called right now, could he be able to talk to him, well, talk to him despite the jaw. He picked at the blanket a little. No, no he wouldn't be able to do that. He would be able to just stare at the wall and listen to that deep voice mumble something and then hang up.

Sasha wanted his sunglasses back. It made him feel vulnerable, especially with his Aunt looking at him like that. She must be thinking how much like her brother he was like right now. Especially because he noticed he was resting his head in his good hand, like he had seen his Dad do so many times before.

"Your Uncle also sends his wishes that you feel better soon."

"I feel like that might a bit further off than expected." Sasha frowned.

"I know, but your Papa and I are trying to keep everything underwraps for you. I know you would rather have as few people as possible know about what happened, so your uncle just think you got a bad virus and needed me."

A bit of privacy on something finally. Maybe he should go back to German, let people think get got sick. Nott hat he was dragged into a prison and tortured for 12 hours as a part of his job. It seemed like a good idea, maybe get a little flat there- maybe transfer to the German branch of the Agency, maybe ask Milla to come along with him and together they could forget about all of this and other people's choices.

It sounded like a beautiful idea to him. But that would also be running away. And he knew he had an issue about doing that if something seemed too big on a personal level, he would just drop it and run. Maybe he was a coward. 

A pathetic little coward in things that hurt him, that got underneath that tighly packed cube of a mind of his. "Aunt Bernie…I'm tired. On a lot of levels." He said after a few long moments.

"I would be surprised if you weren't dear."

Milla sat down at her desk and stared at the paperwork sitting there on her desk neglected. She knew that she has become stagnate. Levi was still missing and she still had camp to plan for at the start of summer and she needed to get her lessons done. And tell Ford about what was going on. But every time she tried to contact him he was someone besides himself.

She knew he would want to know about Sasha's condition.

She also knew she had to get this paperwork out of the way before focusing on camp. She put the pen to paper and started to write what she could. Focusing only on that. If she did that she could put in the notice she was getting ready for camp and focus on things like getting her mind set up for the children and thinking of games they can play when they weren't in lesson, maybe some more places to hide psy-cores.

Maybe the ones who had gone above and beyond in the past few years could get a practice psycho-portal along with Raz getting his too. Of course, Raz's would have a few less limitations, maybe it could go onto an adult who consented to it being put on there instead of a lungfish's or something. But maybe it would be good for them.

They could feel like they were really becoming Psychonauts.

She wondered if Sasha would get a new one for himself too. His last one was destroyed in the fire from Levi's truck, they found the broken frame for it along with a few other items of Sasha's. Or maybe he will decide he wanted nothing to do with the Agency again.

No focus, she breathed out.

Raz walked in. "Hey Milla, guess what?"

She looked at the boy and he seemed happy. In fact, too happy in comparison to when she started the paper work an hour ago when he went running out. "I did all my work quickly and got the information from Che- how can he pull up the files so quickly?"

Milla just stared as she said: "Agent Files."

"Well, legal files and such over all." Raz said waving a piece of paper around.

"It is because of his rank, I could do it, Sasha could, Ford could. If we have a name, we can usually find someone. How come."

"Well, I wanted to help Luka find her Saga right. So I asked Che to find out who it was for me. He found it, so I am going to pull a talk-show host thing and reintroduce them."

Milla felt a smile come to her face at that. Well, that little devil.

"But I want to do it right, so I'll need your help okay? Make sure Luka goes to the beach at a certain time and I'll get her Saga there too. Kay?"

Milla nodded, well, this was the perfect distraction for her.

Sasha opened his eyes as he woke up again, it was morning, There was a letter to him on a table in neat cursive- his Aunt's writing. When did his Aunt get here? He opened up the letter to read it, and it was her wishing him a good morning and apologizing that he didn't get time to record his thoughts yesterday, but she provided a weak summery of it all, but it seemed he was given approval to head home in a week and they figured most of the internal injuries were safe enough for him to go home. But still. He took a breath.

What could he do at home right now? Besides sit around, he knew that Truman would not approve him to go back to work with only one good hand to write with and the inability to remember anything if he dared go to sleep. He had saw the tally he started to make a few days ago, if he could remember certain things when he woke up and so far only one was able to stick around somehow and that was that he was in the hospital.

He supposed because it happened so much that it just fell into his memory and set. He remembered his aunt would bring him sweet rolls from a restaurant near here and try to blend it so he could enjoy something junky.

He moved to actually sit up. His abilities were muted due to medication. They didn't want him attacking anything if he panicked, and from what he saw from the copies of his file he wrote down, he tended to panic often. He took a deep breath. This wasn't good. He needed to figure out why he was panicking.

He decided to start sorting what could have triggered it. How can one figure out your triggers if you don't remember them. He hated this, he wanted to get out of bed and do something. Anything. Just stop being a lump in a room. He was getting cabin fever and he knew it.

Even though he couldn't even remember how long he had been in here. He threw back his blankets and tried to move, but he had zero idea how to move from this bed to- anything because it wasn't close by.

Maybe when his Aunt comes in, he could tell her.

Then he felt disgusted with himself. He should figure out a way on his own, not go running to his aunt to help him as if he were a child.

He allowed his head to flop back down on the pillow as he grabbed his pad of paper and started to write.

-

Raz sat on the levitation ball in Milla's office, a week ago they found out about Luka's hero and they were trying to surprise both by making them meet up.

"Okay. Okay. How about this. We just take him to her. Restaurant. We can go to a resturant" Raz said as Milla shook her head. The boy kept a careful balance on the levitation ball, sitting crossed legged on it.

"No, that seems too much like she would be meeting her dad and people will think he is a bum or something. Maybe something a little less flashy.." Raz raised an eyebrow. Milla avoiding flashy? What was wrong in this picture besides everything? But then again, it could very well be because Milla was avoiding flashy because of everything. She seemed to have withdrawn into herself some, calling Sasha at work to see how he was doing before he would doze off for whatever reason. It became more and more obvious to everyone how much Milla needed Sasha, how his stoicness would bring out the side of her that wanted to more obviously play with people, and how he would give her the sense of victory when he consented to whatever idea she had. He was a challenge for her.

"Then how about the Beach. You go with her when she goes out there, and I bring him."

Something private and personal. Something where they could see how each other had changed over the course of time.

"Hey, I have a question though. Why 'Saga'?" Raz asked finally. Milla paused as she tried to remember.

"If I remember right, a video game system he wanted came out that year, and everyone called him 'Sega' or 'Sonic' or something like that all the time to make fun of him a little. So it could be she heard the 'Sega' bit and thought it was Saga because she was little." Well that was the best theory Milla could come up with at the very least. 


	22. Homecoming

Milla watched as Luka hopped along the sand, sinking into it slightly her feet were bare and she held the balloons and small gift in on hand, and her tennis shoes in the other, it was odd to see Luka move in such a careless way where something so big happened for her many years ago. It was as if nothing did happen, did she simply move on or did she figure it was in the past and to poke at it too much mentally would create reactions she didn't want.

"I'm glad you wanted to come along." Luka said looking ahead in a single minded determination, perhaps hoping that if she kept looking forward maybe her hero would be there waiting for her. Of course Milla knew that this time he would be. The man she thought was named 'Saga', the man that to this day she loved for bringing her back home to her parents- something many other children wouldn't have gotten to experience. "It means a lot, plus that means I don't have to fight the traffic yeah, and after this we can go do something. Like watch a movie. You need to see a new movie or something. You've been stressed."

Well, that was putting it mildly, of course she had been stressed. But this was a breather, especially if Raz followed through on his half and came on time to the place where he was supposed to be.

"I hate the beach." Luka said after a few moments. "The Gulls are noisy and it stinks like dead things. I don't see why people like coming here." Milla watched as Luka made another hop along, an adult sized foot print in the sand. She knew those footprints would be washed away, she wondered if Luka was carried all those years ago. She tried to imagine the woman as a little girl. She could imagine short hair and a scarf and shorts. She imagined a smaller version of the woman in front of her.

Then she could see it in the distance. Raz and Luka's hero. Milla knew what was going on as Luka pause, not making out the figures as well Milla could.

"Someone's there. Maybe I should wait."

"No darling, I am sure they won't mind it at all." She said, "After all, you even said it would be just a moment."

Raz stood on the rock, he was in swim trunks. "Hey, thanks for helping me with this, maybe Sasha is right and I just need to face the fear of the water and that it is all psychological."

The man sighed a little, he couldn't belive he was doing this, but right now Raz was trying to do something new and the person he might have asked was half-way across the nation from here. This was something that he could do for Sasha- put aside his current work irritation and put forth his personal-non irritation.

"Well, it isn't hard, I've seen you stand in shallow waters."

"That I can't be pulled under with." Raz added looking out of the corner of his eyes. "Hey Milla is here. Did you tell her this?" Raz asked the man in front of him.

"No. I knew you would want to save face." He said turning to face Milla in the distance, he could see the bright colors- and some balloons. And a young woman.

A young woman that he could easily mentally deage 10 years to have long black hair and a dirty tear stained face and wearing a church dress with flowers on it.

"And she brought Luka."

Luka.

Truman felt his breath catch in his throat.

Milla smiled at Luka. "Look its Raz and-"

Luka could easily deage that face, imagine it with less weight on it, imagine a black jumpsuit with pinstripes going down it and auburn hair and golden eyes.

"Saga." She said feeling something hot prickling at the corners of her eyes now.

"His name is actually Truman Zanotto, darling." She said, sensing the wave of emotions emanating from the girl as she dropped her shoes and the small gift in the sand, the balloons were tied to her wrist as she shot off to the man.

Raz smiled as he watched Luka sprint forward. He smiled as he looked at Truman, as if he were seeing something he never could imagine. Because he never could have.

Truman wondered what the girl would become like, if she would become scared and shy after that incident many years ago, if she would retreat inwards, if she would finish school or if she would skip grades. If she would grow to be a college student and learn new things or if she would decide she would be happy working a simple job and getting married.

He wondered about that one girl so much, the girl he saved soon after he became a father. The girl who he had only seen in pictures and reports along with many others- others he could not have saved. One of his last cases before he would start training younger agents like Milla and Sasha and eventually becoming a leader of the Agency.

He felt a light body slam into him with an amazing amount of force, like so many years ago on this same beach. He looked down and saw the same dark hair, the hot-wet of tears now on his shoulder instead of his stomach. The pale girl he gave a poptart to as he comforted her to the best of his ability, much different from the colicky baby Lili was at the time. He felt thin fingers dig into the back of his shirt.

It was such a contrast as he rubbed her back some. The time when he felt like a hero and not a huge failure of a man who was supposed to protect others and instead focused on paperwork.

"Hello you may not remember me, but I am Luka and I was kidnapped and you saved me and now I am much older and I still live with my parents but I have a part time job at a call center to earn spending money because my parents are scared something might happen again but I am not scared because I know that you're around." It spilled out so quickly, "That I don't have to be scared about someone taking me and hurting me because I know that someone would be there wanting to help."

She was much more talkative than she was many years ago. Milla looked at Raz, who had an odd look on his face. Perhaps because he was 'anti-kidnapping' expert and he was looking at a fellow one reunite with one many years after saving her. Milla remember how Sasha said when he met Luka she said he didn't worry about her kidnapping him and holding him hostage. How she so easily spoke about what was on her heart.

"I been bringing thing wondering if you ever stopped by but I think I dropped what I was going to leave this time in the sand somewhere when I saw you and I'm sorry-"

"Its alright." Truman said softly, feeling his voice cracking. "I've wonder how you've been." And how she had grown, to see what life grew from the one he knew would have been snuffed out too early too many years ago. And for the first time in a long time- he felt good.

He didn't feel tired or that he was just doing preventative work for a bunch of things, sending people around like little ants. That he really had made a difference in one life.

"I'm-" happy? Excited? Gracious? "A bunch of positive feelings that they really need a word for lumped together to explain the feeling to see you." He stepped back to look at her. "You've grown into a lovely lady. " It was terrifying, to think so many years ago she was Lili's age and size and now she was all grown up. Where did the time go? Lili was a baby, now she is a tween. Luka was almost a tween now she was a woman. He was growing older, but at this moment, he wasn't worried.

Because bad things happen to people, and not all of them become jaded by it like he had seen many times before including in his own life.

-

Sasha sat in the wheelchair as his Aunt pushed him forward. He was on heavy amounts of sedatives, he normally would have felt shame at the idea of his Aunt pushing him through the airport like he was a baby in a pram, but right now he just didn't care. He remembered his doctor at UNM mentioning it would be for the best because he would be in a tight space and not have a lot of control. If it wasn't for someone he knew he could trust being right there, he would have said no.

"You'll be home soon, and I am sure the windows will need to be opened. And I still think you should have called someone so they would know that you're coming back."

No, he didn't want anyone to know, he didn't want anyone to stare at him. He'll tell them when he is home and settled and knew Milla would nag at him for it because he was leaving his Aunt to do all the work when so many people could have helped out.

He could use his abilities very slightly now, enough to help her. He didn't want a scene to be made of everything. He wanted to go home and forget everything besides his day-to-day life, which was slowly getting better. He would remember flashes of the day before but not much else.

He didn't want to sleep, because he didn't want to forget. Especially with how it seemed like how his memory wanted to reset each time. He looked at the wooden kokopelli hanging on the walls of the airport. He also didn't want to sleep because of what would emerge from the recesses of his mind. He knew what they looked like on a mental scene.

Creatures made from parts of their victims, swirling shadows and faces screaming, spitting out broken personal demons which already ran wild throughout his mind. That image he could easily handle.

The ones that came when he shut his eyes not so much. The sound of a body hitting a floor, a wet rag against his body, burning pain, humiliation, cuts that are still trying to heal on his body that with each movement reminded him of what happened. It was easier to fight nightmares when you are awake. When you are ready to fight them, when you're expecting them.

Not when you're resting. Not when you're trying to recover. Not when your dreams change from the sounds of a TV infomercial trying to sell loans and blenders, how the sound of the knife against a cutting board sounds too familiar to a motion and you're taken back there.

He still wonder if that when that happened if a ghost of a memory appeared in front of a cell with burn marks scarring the area.

"Sasha, you're getting lost in your mind again aren't you." His aunt cooed at him, she told him there was nothing wrong with it, but he also knew she worried that his mind would go to places she knew she couldn't help him.

"Sorry" Sasha sighed, still wishing his jaw would just hurry up and heal. "I was thinking about my plans for camp this summer." It was a simple lie. But it would work.

"You're thinking about doing that this year and not just rest this summer. No one would mind." The blonde woman said as she rested a hand on his shoulder .

"I would, I have some studies I want to update and I think spending some time with nature would be good for me." And by nature he meant hiding in the GPC and maybe seeing if any interesting students appeared this year too.


	23. A Man with a Plan

It was nice to be home again, where he was granted just enough of his abilities from suppressive medication to help make his and his Aunt's lives easier. His Aunt was moving about the small flat and making tutting noises.

"Sasha, you have too much clutter." She commented, but to Sasha it felt more like nagging. "Files and papers everywhere, this is a fire trap." Well, good thing he can psychically control fire right? Right. "And really, look at all these take out menus, you do know too much take out is bad for you right?" But he supposed that was what family was supposed to do. Nag at each other a little. Help take care of them. And despite her distaste for the take out menus, she was neatly putting them into a pile. Sasha watched her carefully, waiting for her to say something about his friends and how they should know he was home.

But it never came, she turned on the TV Sasha had for background noise and started to channel surf before she found out that Sasha did pay extra for German channels and settled on one TV show that was playing. "Do you ever watch Unter Uns, Sasha?"

The look he gave her told her 'NO.'

"Then what do you watch?" she questioned, so she could at least set it up for something he liked.

"I really only use the TV for background noise." He admitted, he only paid extra for the German channels because it was easier to turn into background noise for him than anything else. Something about the English made him want to focus.

Sasha wanted to get out of his apartment already. Sasha wanted to go and do work and start behaving like a proper member of society instead of a recluse. He had to get things ready for camp, schedule a dentist appointment, work on getting some weight back on, stop waking up in the mornings with a heart beat shooting through the roof, and get it where his memories stuck.

His Aunt was now working on pushing papers around in no particular order, just trying to do something while Sasha sat there feeling most useless. Maybe he could get Truman to allow him back into work early, physically he could push papers around at the office and use newer agents for idiot work like going to the printer or something like that.

Its that he felt something inside of him, screaming at him for not being better than what he was now. His jaw had healed, he was still stuck not being able to put pressure on his legs, the burns were healing and he seemed human.

He decided on something.

He reached for his telephone and dialed a number.

It rung three times.

"Morales speaking."

He decided to call Che. One would think Milla would be the first one he called when he got home. After all, she was his best friend, his partner, everything he wasn't.

But he didn't want her to see him like this. He knew she would want to mother him, to take care of him. Treat him like one of her campers or one of the 'babies' at the agency (even though those babies were full grown with the exception of one or two of them.) Milla saw him after everything happened. The idea of her seeing him like anything similar made his stomach twist into knots. He knew Che would treat him like a full grown man. Not the kid gloves his Aunt used or he knew Milla would use on him.

"Che." Sasha said, "Lets go do something."

Sasha saw his Aunt turn to look at him, blonde brow raised slightly. "I have been cooped up in one place or another and I need to get out. "

"When did you make it home?"

"About a week or so ago. I figured I could use the time to get my jaw unhinged before going out into the world again."

Sasha could hear Che laugh a little, "Figures as much. If you're going to be late, you have to look good doing it, right?"

Che was talking like nothing happened, like Sasha just went on a long mission, came back and slept in a little too much.

"I'm not 100 percent yet- but I figure I need to get a new cell phone. Last I checked, it was still half-way across the nation. Do you think I need to bring it in to get a replacement?"

"Probably." Che said, "But I am sure you can just say it's on Mars or something. I bet that store is used to everyone coming in with new complaints for their phones."

Just like there was a restaurant near the HQ people liked going to, word of mouth would get people going to the same cellphone providers. Usually because of people they knew working there, so if they said: Hey, I accidently TK'd my phone into a lake. The customer service person wouldn't even blink.

They were customer service, they probably heard stranger.

"You coming back to work soon. I would have opened a window but it looks like you stacked so much crap in front of it, I couldn't get to it."

Sasha nodded, "Ja. I am sick of being cooped up. I read over the files of what happened with Raz, and I need to speak with him about it also."

"The kid's still buttchapped over the scolding."

Sasha frowned a little, "It is something he will need to get used to." It made Sasha a little upset to say, but it was true. Working for a government branch was a little different than being able to do what you want with your abilities. After all, if Sasha could do what he wanted to without the government interference, he would be POSITIVE he would have been further along in his studies instead of having to submit reports and requests to boards about why he should allow a child to go deep into their own psyche using cheap equipment.

"So, are we going to meet up at the store, or do you want me to come pick you up?"

"Come pick me up, I have to renew my bus pass and don't want to do it yet. I'll buy lunch." Sasha stated, hey at least things wouldn't change. All he needed was Che to joke around about how Sasha really just wanted to take advantage of the parking and it would all be normal.

Che refrained from making any jokes along those lines, though.

Sasha could see his Aunt glaring at him, it was like how he imagined a mother would when their child was misbehaving.

Once Sasha hung up, she spoke.

"I could have taken you there. You sure you want to go out already? I am glad you're talking to your friends, but you could have just invited them over…"

"I need a new phone. Watch your shows." He leaned back a little.

-

Che knew that Sasha probably hadn't called Milla yet. But he also knew Sasha probably had a reason for it, knowing Sasha it was probably a pride issue. Sasha always wanted to look his best, and he knew Milla had seen Sasha at his lowest. Sasha was probably still licking his wounds about that alone. Sasha and Milla were a pair, they balanced each other, but Che also knew that at times they could push the other's buttons in just the right way, and Che would bet that another thing Sasha was worried about was being babied by anyone- mainly because from what he saw of Sasha's Aunt she was doing enough of that right now.

So Che grabbed his keys and headed out to his truck. He decided right then and there he was going to do something of great importance.

He was going to make sure that after they got the new cellphone, he and Sasha were going to do something stupid. He didn't know what yet, but he knew it would be something where Milla would yell at them both for it. He just needed to think of something to do.

AN: Short chapter after waiting forever? I'm so sorry D: . Its that life got a little too hectic for me and it is starting to simmer down some. So, I needed to get my creative juices flowing.

So, whats going to happen next? Will Che and Sasha get yelled at for whatever Che is planning or will Sasha refuse to do it? Whats everyone up to?


End file.
